THE 
CORRECT  PIIEPOSITION 

HOW  TO   USE   IT 


JOSEPHINE  IXJRCK  BAKER 


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THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION 

HOW  TO  USE  IT 


A  COMPLETE 
ALPHABETIC  LIST 


BY 

JOSEPHINE  TURCK  BAKER 

AUTHOR  OF 

Correct   English:     A    Complete   Grammar;     The   Correct  Word: 
How  to  Use  It;    Correct  English  in  the  School;    Ten  Thou- 
sand  Words:     How   to    Pronounce    Them;     How    Can    I 
Increase  My  Vocabulary:    Art  of  Conversation;    Cor- 
rect English  Drill  Book,  etc.;    and  Editor  of  the 
Magazine   Correct  English:    How  to   Use   It 


•VI 


PUBLISHED  BY 

COBEECT   ENGLISH  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


81(^1 


COPTBIGHT  1911 

BZ 

JOBSPHINB  TUECK  BAKEE 


THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION 

HOW  TO  USE  IT 


Eule. — Use  the  preposition  that  will  best 
express  the  meaning. 

Note. — Frequently  the  preposition  that  is 
embodied  in  the  preceding  word  furnishes  the 
key  to  the  preposition  that  is  required;  thus: 
the  word  ** controversy''  requires  the  preposi- 
tion ^^with,"  con  meaning  with;  as,  **He  was 
engaged  in  a  controversy  mth  his  friend." 
Abatement  Of. 

Dimm^ation ;  as : 

Would  the  Council  of  Eegency  consent  to 
an  abatement  of  three  thousand  pounds! 

— Macaulay. 
Abdication  Of. 

The  act  of  giving  up;  as: 

Each   mind    (that)    we   approach   seems   to 
require  an  abdication  of  all  our  present  and 
past  possessions. — Emerson, 
Aberration  From. 

The  act  of  wandering  away ;  as : 

So  then  we  draw  near  to  God,  when,  repent- 
ing us  of  our  former  aberrations  from  him,  we 
renew  our  covenant  with  him ! — HalL 

Abhorrence  Of. 

Strong  hatred;  as: 

One  man  thinks  justice  consists  in  paying 
5 


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6  THE  CORltECT' AEPOSiriON: 


i«  " 


debts,  and  has  no  measure  in  Kis*  Mhorrence  of 
another  who  is  very  remiss  in  this  duty, 

— Emerson, 
Abhorrent  To. 

Struck  with  abhorrence ;  as : 
Christianity  turns  from  these  scenes  of  strife, 
as  abhorrent  to  her  highest  injunctions. 

— Sumner, 
Abide  In  or  By. 

To  have  one's  abode;  as: 
In  the  noiseless  air  and  light  that  flowed 
Bound  your  fair  brows,  eternal  peace  abode, 

— Bryant, 

'  *  I  will  abide  by  your  decision. ' ' 

Abound  In  or  With. 
In. — To  be  in  great  plenty ;  as : 
Nature  abounds  in  wits  of  every  kind, 
And  for  each  author  can  a  talent  find. 

— Dryden,    * 

With, — To  be  plentifully  supplied  with;   as: 
^'The  river  abounds  ivith  fish." 

Absolve  From. 

To  set  free  or  release ;  as : 

No  amount  of  erudition  or  technical  skill  or 
critical  power  can  absolve  the  mind  from  the 
necessity  of  creating,  if  it  would  grow. 

—Clifford. 
Abstract  Prom. 

To  draw  or  take  away;  as: 
'*His  attention  was  abstracted  from  the  ob- 
ject." 

Accede  To. 

To  yield  to;  as: 

*VWe  acceded  to  her  terms." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  7 

^       Accommodate  To  or  With. 

To, — To  bring  into  harmony  or  accord;   as: 

'Twas  his  misfortune  to  light  upon  an 
hypothesis  that  could  not  be  accommodated  to 
the  nature  of  things  and  human  affairs. — Locke. 

With, — To  provide  with  conveniences,  or  es- 
sentials; as: 

^^He  accommodated  his  friend  with  money." 
Accompanied  By  or  With. 

By, — To  attend  or  join  in  movement  or 
action;  as: 

**He  was  accompanied  by  his  friend"  (or  by 
his  dog). 

With, — To  put  in  company  with ;  as : 

**He  accompanied  his  remark  with  a  blow." 

By  or  with, — To  be  or  exist  in  company 
with;  as: 

**The  thunder  was  accompanied  by  or  mth 
lightning." 

Note. — The  present  tendency  is  to  restrict 
by  and  with  to  the  following  uses:  Accom- 
panied by  a  person  or  agent;  with  a  thing, 
consequence,  etc. ;  accompanied  by  friends ;  de- 
feat accompanied  with  disgrace^. 
Accord  With  (intransitive). 

To  agree;  as: 

**To  this  the  courteous  Prince, 
Accorded  with  his  wonted  courtesy." 

Accord  To  (transitive). 

Her  hands  accorded  the  lute's  music  to  the 
voice. — Sir  Philip  Sidney, 

Accordance  With. 

Agreement;  as: 

^^  Their  voices  are  in  wonderful  accordance 
with  the  tranquil  solitude  of  a  summer  after- 


8  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION; 

According  To. 
In  conformity  to  one's  opinion;  as: 
According  to  him,  every  person  was  to  be 

bought. — Macaulay. 
Note. — According  is  frequently  followed  by 

the  conjunction  as;  thus: 
*^He  does  according  as  he  thinks  best.'' 
/  Accountable  To  (a  person)  For  (a  thing). 

**He  was  accountable  to  his  employer  for  the 

goods  that  he  sold." 

Accuse  Of. 

To  make  an  imputation  against;  as: 
(Sometimes  with  for  before  the  object  of 

censure.) 
**They  accused  him  of  extreme  carelessness." 
The  Eomanists  accuse  the  Protestants  for 

their  indifference. — Southey. 

Acquaint  With. 

To  make  familiar  with ;  as : 

Persons  themselves  acquaint  us  with  the  im- 
personal.— Emerson. 
Acquiesce  In. 

To  agree  in;  as: 

**We  acquiesced  in  what  she  said." 

Note. — In  modern  usage,  in  is  required,  but 
formerly  to,  with  and  from  were  employed. 

Adapted  To,  For,  From. 
To. — To  make  suitable ;  as : 
A  good  poet  will  adapt  the  very  sounds,  as 
well  as  words  to  the  things  he  treats  of. — Pope, 
For, — To  fit  by  alteration;  as: 
^^He  adapted  the  story /or  the  stage." 
From, — To  make  by  altering  or  fitting  some- 
thing else;  as: 

**He  adapted  the  story  for  the  stage,  from 
the  French." 


1/ 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  9 

Add  To. 

To  annex ;  as : 

They  added  ridge  to  valley,  brook  to  pond, 
And  sighed  for  all  that  bounded  their  do- 
main.— Emerson. 

Address  To. 

To  speak  or  write  to ;  as :    , 

**He  addressed  himself  to  the  chairman.'' 

Adequate  To. 

Fully  sufficient;  as: 

The  Aztec  picture-writing  seems  to  have 
been  adequate  to  the  demands  of  the  nation,  in 
their  imperfect  state  of  civilization. — Prescott, 

Adhere  To. 

To  stick  fast ;  as : 

The  principle  of  free  government  adheres  to 
American  soil. — Webster. 

Adjourn  At,  On,  Over,  For,  From,  In,  To. 

At,  on,  over,  for. — To  suspend  for  a  time ;  as : 
' '  They  adjourned  for  half  an  hour  at  noon,  on 

Monday." 

^^They  adjourned  over  the  holidays.'' 

From. — To  put  off  from  day  to  day ;  as : 

^^They  adjourned  from  day  to  day." 

In. — To  terminate;  as: 

*^The  meeting  adjourned  in  confusion." 

To. — To   transfer   to    another   place,    or  to 

change  the  hour ;  as : 

^^The  meeting  adjourned  to  New  York." 
*'The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  Wednesday" 

(or  to  three  o'clock). 

Adjudge  To. 

To  award  or  bestow  by  formal  decision ;  as ; 
"The  prize  was  adjudged  to  the  victor." 


10  THE  COEBECT  PREPOSITION: 

Adjust  To. 

To  cause  to  fit,  to  adapt  or  settle ;  as : 

*^They  adjusted  the  window  to  tie  frame." 
Admission  To,  Into. 

To. — To  have  access ;  as : 

He  was  denied  admission  to  the  room. 

Into. — To  have  entrance ;  as : 

**The  admission  of  light  into  the  room  was 
through  a  small  window." 

Admit  To,  Into,  WitMn,  Of. 
To. — To  afford  access ;  as : 
**This  ticket  will  admit  you  to  the  theater." 
Into. — To  afford  entrance ;  as : 
**He  was  admitted  into  the  house." 
Within. — To    afford    entrance    into    an    en- 
closure; as: 

**He  was  admitted  within  the  garrison." 
Of. — To  afford  discussion;  as: 
**The  argument  admits  of  no  discussion." 
Admonisb  Of. 
To  reprove  with  mildness ;  as : 
'*He  was  admonished  of  his  duty." 
Advantage  Of,  Over,  In,  With. 

Of  J  Over. — To  he  in  more  favorable  position 
or  to  have  better  privileges;  to  have  superior 
knowledge;  as: 

**  You  have  the  advantage  of  me,  for  I  do  not 
remember  you." 

*^The  special  advantage  of  manhood  over 
youth  lies in  the  sense  of  reality  and  limi- 
tation. ' ' 

In. — Vantage  in  argument ;  as : 

**He  had  the  advantage  in  the  discussion." 

With. — Superiority  in  position  or  condition; 
as: 

**The  advantage  was  ivith  the  enemy." 


HOW  TO  USB  IT  11 

Advice  To,  Of,  From. 
To. — The  giving  of  counsel ;  as: 
**His  advice  to  the  people  was  received  with 

applause. ' ' 
Of, — Counsel  given  by  another ;  as : 
**He  took  the  advice  of  his  friend. '^ 
From, — Information  given  by  another ;  as : 
**  Advices  from  our  agent  inform  us  that  the 

goods  have  been  received.'' 

Advise  Of,  With. 

Of, — To  give  information ;  as : 

^ '  He  was  advised  of  his  danger. ' ' 

With, — To  take  counsel  with ;  as : 

**I  will  advise  with  my  friends  in  order  to  see 

what  can  be  done." 

i/  Advocate  Of,  For. 

Of, — To  vindicate  or  espouse  a  cause ;  as : 

**He  is  an  advocate  of  the  oppressed." 

For, — To  vindicate  or  espouse  a  cause  for  a 
person;  as: 

'*He  is  an  advocate  for  the  defendant." 
Aflanity  Of,  Between,  For, 

Of. — Close  agreement  or  relation ;  likeness  in 
nature,  character,  or  taste ;  as : 

^^The  affinity  of  the  Aryan  languages  is  re- 
vealed by  a  study  of  Philology." 

Between, — Inherent  likeness  or  agreement 
between  persons  or  things ;  as : 

The  perception  of  real  affinities  between 
events  .  .  .  enables  the  poet  thus  to  make 
free  with  the  most  imposing  forms  and  phenona- 
ena  of  the  world,  and  to  assert  the  predomi- 
nance of  the  soul. — Emerson, 

For. — A  natural  liking  as  of  one  person  for 
another;  as: 


12  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

^  ^  The  affinity  that  one  person  has  for  another 
can  not  always  be  accounted  for." 

\/  Agree  To,  With,  Upon. 

To.— To  yield  assent ;  as : 

*^He  agreed  to  the  proposition." 

With. — To  be  consistent ;  to  suit ;  as : 

**The  food  does  not  agree  ivith  him." 

Upon. — To   arrive   at  an  understanding  or 

settlement;  as: 

y^  They  agreed  upon  New  York  as  the  place  of 

meeting. ' ' 

Agreeable  In,  To. 

In. — Affable  in  manner ;  as : 

'*He  is  agreeable  in  his  manner." 

To. — ^Affable  towards ;  as : 

**He  is  agreeable  in  his  manner  to  everyone 
that  he  meets." 

Note. — In  connection  with  the  expression 
*  ^  agreeable  to, '  ^  note  that  ^  ^  agreeably  with ' '  is 
required  in  such  constructions  as  ^'Agreeably 
with  your  request,  we  are  sending  you, ' '  etc. 

Alien  To  (rarely  From),  In,  Among. 
To. — Strange,  foreign,  not  belonging  to ;   as : 
**It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  origin  of  senti- 
ments so  alien  to  our  thoughts." 
In. — A  stranger  in  a  plaec  or  situation;   as: 
**He  is  an  alien  in  our  land." 
'Among. — A  stranger  among  people ;  as : 
He  is  an  alien  among  us. 

Allied  To,  With. 

To. — Eelated  to ;  as : 

Ah!  Madam;  true  wit  is  more  nearly  allied 
to  good  nature  than  your  ladyship  is  aware 
of.' — Sheridan. 

With. — Connected  with ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  13 

'^  Common    interests    allied    Holland    with 
Protestant  German  States/' 
Alter  From,  To,  Into. 

From,  Into. — To  change  from  one  design  or 
thing  to  another ;  as : 

^^He  altered  the  building  from  a  barn  into  a 
house. ' ' 

To. — To  change ;  as : 

^^He  altered  the  original  to  the  new  design." 
Ambitious  Of  (formerly  For  and  After). 

Desirous  of  greater  things ;  as : 

**He  is  ambitious  of  applause." 

Note. — '  *  Ambitious ' '  is  often  followed  by  the 
infinitive;  as: 

*^I  am  ambitious  to  succeed.*' 
Amuse  At,  With. 

At. — To  cause  merriment ;  as : 

I  was  amused  at  his  antics. 

With. — The  instrument  by  which  merriment 
is  caused ;  as : 

^^I  amused  the  children  ivith  stories." 

Note. — Usage  now  favors  **at"  or  '*with," 
as  the  case  may  require,  instead  of  *^by"  or 
'4n"  as  formerly. 
Analogous  To  (less  frequently  With). 
Bearing  resemblance. 

^^  There  is  something  in  the  exercise  of  the 
mind  analogous  to  that  of  the  body." 
Analogy  Between,  Of,  To,  With. 

Between,    Of,    To,    With. — Eesemblance    or 
agreement;  as: 

^^  There  is  some  analogy  between  nature  and 
revelation." 

The  analogy  of  sound  to  light  exists. 

'^A  family  has  some  analogy  to  (or  with)  a 
state." 


14  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

AHSwer  To. 

To, — To  be  correlative;  to  have  similarity; 
as: 

**The  prisoner  answered  to  the  description.'' 

For. — To  be  responsible  for  the  good  conduct 
or  safe-keeping  of  some  person  or  thing;  as: 

*^I  will  answer  for  his  conduct.'' 

Antagonism  To,  Between. 

To. — Attitude  of  opposition  towards  a  person 
or  thing;  as: 

'  *  His  antagonism  to  the  truth  was  manifest  in 
every  word  that  he  uttered. ' ' 

Between. — Reciprocal  opposition. 

*^The  antagonism  between  the  two  was  evi- 
denced in  every  word  and  action." 

Antagonistic  To. 

*'He  was  antagonistic  to  the  superstitions  of 
his  time." 

Antipathy  To,  Between. 

**He  had  an  antipathy  to  reptiles." 

**The  antipathy  between  the  two  was  plainly 

obvious. ' ' 

Angry  With,  At. 

With. — Eesentment  felt  for  a  person ;  as : 

*  *  I  am  angry  with  him. ' ' 

At. — Resentment  felt  because  of  the  conduct 
of  another ;  because  of  conditions,  etc. ;  as : 

**I  am  angry  at  the  way  that  he  treats  you." 

Annex  To. 

^*The  suburb  was  annexed  to  the  city." 

Anxious  For,  About. 

For. — Solicitous  for  something  to  happen  or 
to  be  done ;  as : 

**I  am  anxious  for  success." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  15 

About. — Solicitous  for  some  person,  creature 
or  situation;  as: 

*'I  am  anxious  about  him''  {his  health;  his 
tvelfare,  and  the  like). 
Apologize  For,  To. 

For, — To  express  regret  for  a  fault ;  as : 

''I  apologize  for  my  conduct.'' 

To, — To  express  regret  to  another  for  one's 
conduct;  as: 

^^I  apologize  to  him  for  my  conduct." 

Appoint  To,  Over. 

To, — To  decree  or  ordain  the  doing  of  some- 
thing; as: 

^  ^  They  appointed  him  to  the  office. ' ' 
Over, — To  appoint  some  one  to  an  office  over 
others;  as: 

^^They  appointed  him  over  the  people." 
Apprehensive  Of,  For. 

Of, — Apprehending  evil,  harm,  danger;  as: 
**I  am  apprehensive  of  danger." 
For, — Solicitude  for  another's  safety,  as: 
**I  am  apprehensive  for  his  safety." 
Approve  of, — To  favor  a  person,  or  thing,  or 
abstraction;  as: 

^'I  approve  of  his  conduct." 

Argue  With,  About,  For  or  Against;  Into  or  Out  Of;  Prom, 
To. 

With, — Debate  with  a  person ;  as : 

**I  argued  the  case  with  him  for  an  hour." 

About, — Urge  reasons ;  as : 

**I  argued  about  the  subject  before  deciding 
upon  the  course  of  action." 

For,  against, — To  debate  in  favor  of;  to  de- 
bate against;  as: 

*'He  argued  for  the  plaintiff.  He  argued 
against  the  defendant." 


16  THE  COKRECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Into,  out  of. — To  talk  a  person  into  a  line  of 
reasoning ;  to  talk  him  out  of  it ;  as : 

^*I  argued  him  into  thinking  that  the  case 
•hould  be  tried." 

*^I  argued  him  out  of  thinking  that  the  case 
should  be  tried.'' 

From,  To. — To  urge  reasons  from  one  point 
of  view  to  another ;  as : 

*^We  argued  from  cause  to  effect." 

Array  In,  Before,  Against. 

In. — To  place  or  draw  up  in  order ;  as : 
*  *  The  army  was  arrayed  in  the  open  field. ' ' 
Against. — To  place  in  opposition  to ;  as : 
**The  army  was  arrayed  against  the  enemy." 
Before. — To  place  in  front  of ;  as : 
*'The   army  was   arrayed   before  the   com- 
mander. ' ' 

Note. — *^In"  and  **with"  are  often  used  in- 
terchangeably in  such  constructions  as  ^^He  was 
arrayed  in  (or  with)  royal  apparel." 

Ask  About,  After,  For,  Of. 

About,  after. — To  make  inquiry  regarding 
some  person  or  thing ;  as : 

^*He  asked  about  my  affairs."  *'He  ashed 
after  you." 

For. — To  demand,  expect  or  claim ;  as : 

**What  price  do  you  ash  for  it  V^ 

Of. — To  request,  petition;  as: 

**I  ashed  a  favor  of  him." 

Aspire  To,  After. 

To. — To  have  an  earnest  wish  to  attain;  as: 
**He  aspired  to  fame." 

After. — To  have  an  earnest  wish  to  attain 
some  abstraction;  as: 

*^He  aspired  after  excellence." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  17^ 

Assent  To. 
To  agree ;  as : 
'*He  assented  to  the  proposition." 

Assimilate  To,  With. 

To, — To  cause  to  become  harmonious  or  ac- 
cordant with  each  other ;  as : 

He  assimilates  his  life  to  the  standard  of  ideal 
rectitude. — Hawthorne. 

With. — To  become  similar;  as: 

^^A  people  whose  differences  of  religion,  lan- 
guage, and  general  habits  made  them  incapable 
of  assimilating  with  their  Christian  neighbors." 

j/        Astonished  At,  By. 

At. — To  be  affected  at  something  we  view 
from  without ;  as : 

**I  am  astonished  at  his  conduct." 

By. — To  be  affected  by  something  that  is 
thought  of  as  an  agent ;  as : 

**They  were  astonished  hy  the  enemy." 

Attend  At,  Oia  or  Upon,  To,  With. 

At. — To  be  present ;  as : 

*^He  attended  upon  the  committee." 

Note. — **At"  is  more  frequently  omitted,  as 
**He  attends  the  same  church  that  I  do."  This 
use  of  *^ attend"  is  transitive. 

On  or  upon. — (a)  To  be  present,  in  pursu- 
ance of  duty,  business,  or  pleasure ;  especially, 
act  as  an  attendant;  as: 

He  attended  upon  the  committee. 

(b)  To  be  consequent;  wait;  as: 

It  is  good  that  a  certain  portion  of  disgrace 
should  constantly  attend  on  certain  bad  actions. 

— Macaulay. 

To. — To  give  attention;  as: 

'^ Attend  to  what  I  am  saying." 


18  THE  COBRECT  PREPOSITION: 

With, — To  accompany  or  follow  in  immediate 
sequence;  as: 

^^The  cold  was  attended  with  fever/' 
Avail  One's  Self  Of. 

To  take  advantage  of ;  as : 

**Slie  availed  herself  of  the  reduced  rates  of 
tuition. ' ' 
Avenge  One's  Self  On  or  Upon. 

To  vindicate  by  inflicting  pain ;  as : 

**He  avenged  his  anger   on    (or   upon)    his 
servant. ' ' 
y  Averse  To. 

In  opposition  to ;  as : 

^^I  am  averse  to  your  going." 
Banish  From,  To. 

From, — To  expel  from  a  customary  or  de- 
sired place;  as: 

These  evils  thou  repeat 'st  upon  thyself 

Have  banished  me  from  Scotland. 

— Shakespeare. 

To. — To  expel  to  or  relegate  to  a  place;  as: 

*  *  Ovid  was  banished  to  Tomi. ' ' 
Bargain  With,  For. 

With.— To  make  an  agreement  with  sl  person ; 
as: 

**He  bargained  with  his  host  for  his  supper.'' 

For. — To  make  an  agreement  for  an  object. 

Note. — See  use  of  for  in  preceding  sentence ; 
also  the  following: 

We  bargain  for  the  graves  we  lie  in. 

— Lowell. 
Base  On  or  Upon. 

On  or  upon. — To  place  upon  a  foundation,  or 
basis;  as: 

*'A11  sound  paper  must  be  based  on  cur- 
rency or  bullion." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  19 

It  is  on  this  understanding,  and  not  on  the 
sentiment  of  a  nation  that  all  safe  legislation 
must  be  based. — Loivell. 

Note. — Upon  seems  to  be  preferable  to  on 
when  used  with  the  verb  base,  for  the  reason 
that,  while  on  and  upon  are  in  many  of  their 
uses  identical  in  force,  upon,  meaning  up  and 
on^  really  expresses  motion  to  the  object  from 
above  or  from  the  side;  on  is  used  to  express  the 
same  idea,  but  as  it  has  many  variant  uses  it 
would  seem  better  to  use  upon  whenever  motion 
is  expressed  from  above  or  from  the  side. 

Battle  With,  For,  Against. 

With. — To  struggle  with  an  object  or  an 
idea;  as: 

'*He  battled  with  his  adversary;*'  *^He  bat- 
tled with  ignorance.'' 

For. — To  struggle  for  the  attainment  of 
something;  as: 

**He  struggled  for  freedom." 

Against. — To  struggle  against  something;  as: 

**He  struggled  against  poverty." 

Believe  In,  On  (sometimes  Upon) . 

In. — To  be  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  some- 
thing; as: 

**He  believes  in  Buddhism." 

On. — To  exercise  trust  or  confidence ;  as : 

**He  believes  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Belong  To,  With,  In. 

To. — To  be  a  possession,  appurtenance,  or 
part  of  anything ;  to  be  suitable ;  as : 

To  hear  with  eyes  belongs  to  love's  fine  wit. 

— Shakespeare. 

With. — To  be  required  as  an  adjunct ;  as : 
**This  book  belongs  with  the  other." 


J 


20  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

In, — To  have  a  specific  place  or  sphere;  as: 
**This  book  belongs  in  the  book-case." 

Bestow  On  or  Upon. 

On  or  upon. — To  give;  confer  or  impart 
gratuitously;  as: 

To  be  able  to  bestow  benefits  or  happiness  on 
those  one  loves,  is  surely  the  greatest  blessing 
conferred  on  man. — Thackeray. 

Betray  To,  By,  Into. 

To. — To  reveal  or  disclose  something  to  a 
person;  as: 

^^She  betrayed  his  secret  to  her  friend.'' 
^*A  turned  leaf,  a  broken  twig,  the  faintest 
film  of  smoke  against  the  sky,  betrayed  to  him 
the  passage  or  presence  of  an  enemy. 

F.  Clark. 


By.— Ho  reveal  or  disclose  by  means  of  an 
agent;  as: 

*^His  secret  was  betrayed  by  his  enemies.'' 

Into. — To  deliver  to ;  as : 

The  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  men.— Ma^.  XVII.,  22. 

"He  was  betrayed  into  the  snare  by  his 
enemy. ' ' 

Bind  To,  With   (or  In),  By,  Under,  A"bout   (or  Around  or 
Round),  Upon,  At  and  In. 

To. — To  confine  or  fasten  to  something;  as: 
^**They  bound  him  to  a  raft;''  ^'They  bound 

him  to  secrecy." 

With  (or  in). — To  confine  with  (or  m) ;  as: 
*^They  bound  him  with  (or  in)  chains." 
By. — To  oblige  by  means  of  something;  as : 
^*He  was  bound  by  his  contract  to  do  the 

work." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  31 

Under, — To  be  obliged  by  some  impelling 
force;  as: 

**He  was  hound  under  penalty  to  fulfil  his 
contract. ' ' 
Call  On,  For,  At,  By,  After,  In,  Into,  To,  Up. 

On  or  Upon, — (a)  To  make  a  brief  visit;  as: 

^*I  called  on  (or  upon)  my  neighbor." 

(b)  To  demand  from  or  appeal  to;  as: 

*^I  called  on  (or  upon)  him  to  pay  the  note." 

(c)  To  invoke;  as: 

*^He  called  on  (or  upon)  the  name  of  the 
Lord." 

Precedence  should  be  given  to  on  in  the  fore- 
going constructions. 

For, — (a)  To  demand,  require,  claim;  as: 

*'The  sin  calls  for  punishment." 

(b)  To  make  a  brief  visit  for  the  procurement 
of ;  as : 

* '  I  called  for  him  on  my  way  to  the  city. ' ' 

At, — To  make  a  short  stop  at  a  place;  as: 

**I  called  at  his  office. 

By, — To  name  by;  as : 

<  <  They  called  him  by  the  name  of  John. ' ' 

After. — 'To  name  after;  as : 

^^They  called  him  John  after  his  uncle." 

In, — (a)  To  question;  to  cast  doubt  upon;  to 
dispute;  as: 

*^The  circumstances  were  called  in  question." 

(b)  To  collect;  as: 

' '  He  called  in  the  money  that  was  due  him. ' ' 

Into, — To  bring  w^o  action;  as: 

^'The  exercise  calls  into  play  all  the  muscles 
of  the  body." 

To.--.(a)  To  demand  explanation;  as: 

' '  He  was  called  to  account  for  his  behaviour. ' ' 

(b)  To  recall;  as: 

^^I  cannot  call  this  to  mind." 


22  THE  COKEECT  PREPOSITION: 

(c)  To  summon  to  begin;  as: 
**The  meeting  was  called  to  order." 

(d)  To  admit  to  the  practice  of;  as: 
**He  was  called  to  the  bar." 

Up. — To  bring  to  mind ;  as : 
*^  These  scenes  call  up  the  days  of  my  child- 
hood." 

Care  About  (or  For),  For,  Of. 

About  (or  for). — To  be  solicitous;  to  be  con- 
cerned or  interested  in ;  as : 

*^I  do  not  care  about  (or  for)  the  conse- 
quences." 

Note. — The  use  of  for  with  care,  meaning  to 
be  influenced  by,  as  in  the  sentence,  *^I  don't 
care  for  his  opinion,"  or  ^^I  don't  care  for  what 
he  says,"  is  colloquial. 

For. — To  like;  to  value. 

'^I  do  not  care  for  (like)  her  as  I  did." 

'^For  who,  if  the  rose  bloomed  forever,  would 
so  greatly  care  for  (value)  the  rose?" 

Celetjpated  For,  In,  By,  With,  Among  (or  Amid),  Above. 

For. — To  be  renowned  for ;  as : 

**She  was  celebrated  for  her  beauty." 

In. — To  be  commemorated  in;  as : 

^*The  historic  event  has  been  celebrated  in 

song. ' ' 
By. — To  commemorate  by;  as: 
**The  anniversary  was  celebrated  by  all  the 

people." 

With. — To  commemorate  by  means  of;  as: 
'*The  anniversary  was  celebrated  by  all  the 

people  with  songs  and  speeches." 
Among. — Famed  among;  as: 
^*He  was  celebrated  among  his  companions 

for  his  rare  musical  gifts. ' ' 
Above. — Exalted;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  23 

**He  was  celebrated  above  his  companion  for 
his  rare  musical  gifts/' 

Certain  Of,  About. 

Of. — Assured  of;  as : 

**I  am  certain  of  the  correctness  of  this  sen- 
tence." 

About. — Assured  about;  as: 
^*I  am  certain  about  your  going." 
Note. — Of  and  about  are  more  or  less  inter- 
changeably used  with  certain;  thus:  we  may 
say,  **I  am  certain  of  your  going,"  or  **I  am 
.certain  (feel  sure  as  to)  about  your  going;"  on 
the  other  hand,  in  some  constructions,  of  is  the 
required  word;  as,  *^I  am  certain  of  success." 

Cheat  Of  (or  Out  Of). 

To  deceive;  defraud,  as: 
A  sorcerer  that  by  his  cunning  cheated  me  of 
the  island. — Shakespeare. 
**He  was  cheated  out  of  his  property." 

Clear  Of  (or  From) . 

To  liberate  or  disengage ;  as : 

**I  shall  clear  myself  of  this  annoyance;"  **I 
have  cleared  myself  from  all  obligations  in  the 
matter." 

Coincide  With. 

To  agree  in ;  as : 

'*I  coincide  with  you  in  your  view  of  this." 

ColUde  With. 

To  strike  together  with  force ;  as : 
**The  ships  collided  with  each  other." 

Combat  With. 

To  fight  tvith;  as : 

*^He  needs  must  combat  might  ivith  might." 


24  THE  COEKECT  PREPOSITION": 

\/  Combine  With,  Into,  In. 

With, — ^To  join  forces  mth;  as : 
You  with  your  foes  combine. — Dryden. 
Into. — To  unite;  as : 

''The  disturbing  factions  were  combined  into 
one  party." 

In. — To  unite  in;  as: 

''Acid  and  alkali  are  combined  in  a  salt.'' 

Common  To,  Among,  With. 

To. — Pertaining  to  or  belonging  ^o  or  partic- 
ipated in  by  two  or  more  persons ;  as : 

"These  characteristics  are  common  to  both 
you  and  me." 

Among. — Participated  in  by  several ;  as : 
"The  fault  is  common  among  people  of  that 
class." 

With. — Participated  in  conjunction  with;  as : 
"He  has  this  fault  in  common  with  others  of 
his  class." 

\y  Communicate  To,  With,  About. 

To. — To  impart  to;  as: 

"He  communicated  the  news  to  her  by  mail. 

With.^— To  impart  news  as  by  mail ;  as : 

"I  will  communicate  with  her  by  letter,  and 
will  let  you  know  her  decision. ' ' 

About. — To  impart  news  or  information 
about  something;  as: 

"I  will  communicate  with  her  about  the  mat- 
ter." 

V  Compare  With,  To. 

With.--liO  bring  together  for  the  purpose  of 
noting  points  of  likeness  and  difference ;  as : 

^'Compare  this  piece  of  goods  with  that,  and 
tell  me  which  is  the  better  of  the  two." 

To.— To  liken  one  thing  to  another  when  only 
a  slight  similarity  exists;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  25 

Solon  compared  the  people  to  the  sea,  and 
orators  and  counsellors  to  the  winds;  for  the 
sea  would  be  calm  and  quiet  if  the  winds  did 
not  trouble  it. — Bacon, 

Comparison  With,  Between,  To. 

With, — A  consideration  of  a  likeness  or  a  dif- 
ference in  regard  to  particular  persons  or 
things;  as: 

*^A  comparison  of  this  man's  qualifications 
with  that  man's  is  unfair." 

Betiveen, — Likeness  or  difference  between; 
as: 

^ '  She  is  so  much  his  superior  that  there  is  no 
comparison  between  them.'' 

To. — Eesemblance  to;  as: 

And  half  asleep  she  made  comparison 

Of  that  and  these  to  her  own  faded  self. 

— Tennyson. 
Compatible  With. 

Capable  of  co-existing,  or  of  being  found  to- 
gether in  the  same  subject;  as: 

The  maintenance  of  an  essentially  religious 
attitude  of  mind  is  compatible  with  absolute 
freedom  of  speculation  on  all  subjects,  whether 
scientific  or  metaphysical.— J.  Fiske. 

Complain  Of. 

To  utter  an  expression  of  discomfort  or  sor- 
row from  some  cause;  to  make  a  formal  accu- 
sation; as: 

^  ^  He  complained  of  headache. ' ' 

'*He  complained  of  the  lax  methods  of  the 
firm." 

Complaint  Against. 

An  expression  of  grief,  regret,  pain,  censure, 
resentment,  discontent ;  as : 


26  THE  COKEECT  PREPOSITION: 

The  Jews  .  .  .  laid  many  and  grievous  com- 
plaints against  Paul,  which  they  could  not  prove. 

— Acts  XXV.  7. 
Compliance  With. 

Concession;  submission;  as: 

**His  compliance  with  my  request  gave  me 
much  pleasure. 

Comply  With. 

To  act  in  accordance  with;  as : 
'^He  complied  with  my  request.'' 

Composed  Of. 

To  form  by  being  combined  with ;  as : 
*^  Water  is  composed  of  hydrogen  and  oxy- 
gen. ' ' 

Concerned  At,  For,  With,  In. 
At. — To  be  disturbed  by  something;  as: 
^*He  was  greatly  concerned  at  the  advance 

that  his  enemy  was  making. ' ' 
For. — To  be  disturbed  about  the  welfare  of  a 

person ;  as : 

^*I  am  greatly  concerned  for  his  safety.'' 

With. — To  be  deeply  interested  in ;  as : 

^^I  am  concerned  with  matters  pertaining  to 

commerce. ' ' 
In. — To  participate  in;  as : 
**I  am  not  at  all  concerned  in  this  matter"  (I 

have  no  participation  in  it). 

Concur  With,  In. 

With. — To  agree  with  a  person ;  as : 
'  ^  I  concur  with  you  in  this  matter. ' ' 
In. — To  agree  with  another  in  a  decision. 
(See  in  in  the  preceding  sentence.) 

Condemn  For  or  On  Account  Of. 

To  pronouncB  judgment;  as: 

^'He  was  condemned  by  all  for  his  conduct." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  27 

Confer  On  or  Upon. 

To  bestow  as  a  permanent  gift ;  as : 
The  Duke  on  the  lady  a  kiss  conferred, 
As  the  courtly  custom  was  of  old. — Browning, 
Coronation,  to  a  king,  confers  no  royal  au- 
thority upon  him. — South, 

Confide  In,  To. 

In. — To  trust  in;  as : 

'  *  The  prince  confided  in  his  minister. ' ' 

To, — To  intrust  with ;  as : 

Thou  art  the  only  one  to  whom  I  dare  confide 
my  folly. — Lord  Lyttleton, 

To  make  in  accordance  with ;  as : 

Let  me  advise  you  to  conform  your  Courses 
to  his  Counsel. — Howell, 

Wisdom  bids  us  conform  to  our  humble  situ- 
ation.— Goldsmith, 

ConformaWe  To  (sometimes  With). 
In  accordance  with ;  as : 
A  subtle,  refined  policy  was  conformable  to 
the  genius  of  the  Italians. — Prescott, 

\j  Conformity  To  or  With,  In. 

To  or  with, — In  accordance  or  agreement 
with ;  as : 

^*The  example  is  in  conformity  to  (or  with) 
the  rule.'' 

7t^.— Agreement  in;  as : 

Space  and  duration  have  a  great  conformity 
in  this,  that  they  are  justly  reckoned  among  our 
simple  ideas. — LocJce, 

Congenial  To. 

Harmonious;  companionable;  suited  or 
adapted  in  character  or  feeling ;  as : 

To  know  God,  we  must  have  something  with- 
in ourselves  congenial  to  Him. — Channing, 


38  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Congratulate  On  or  Upon. 

To  wish  joy  to;  to  address  with  expressions 
of  sympathetic  pleasure ;  as : 

^'I  congratulated  him  on  (or  upon)  the  birth 
of  his  son/' 

Connect  With. 

To  join  with;  as: 

The  English  .  .  .  saw  their  sovereign 
connecting  himself  by  the  strongest  ties  with 
the  most  faithless  and  merciless  persecutor. 

— Macaulay. 
v/  Connive  With,  At. 

With, — To  be  in  secret  complicity  with;  as : 
'*He  connived  with  his  partner  in  the  deceit." 
At. — To  give  aid  or  encouragement  by  silence 

or  forbearance ;  as : 

To  connive  at  cruelty  is  to  practice  it. 

— Jane  Porter. 

Consist  Of,  In,  With. 

0/.— Composed  of;  as : 

Of  the  whole  sum  of  human  life,  no  small 
part  is  that  which  consists  of  man's  relations  to 
his  country,  and  his  feelings  towards  it. 

—Gladstone. 

In.-^To  abide;  rest;  be  comprised,  per- 
formed, or  expressed;  as: 

True  happiness  consists,  not  in  the  multitude 
of  friends, 

But  in  the  worth  and  choice. — Ben  Johnson. 

With. — To  be  compatable  with;  as : 

Bach  opinion  will  consist  well  enough  with 
religion.— /S'ir  T.  Browne. 

Consistent  With,  In. 

TTi^/^.— Agreement  with;  as : 

**The  law  is  consistent  with  justice." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  39 

In. — Uniform  in;  as: 

*^He  was  consistent  in  all  his  conduct/' 

Consonant  To  (sometimes  With). 

Harmonious;  as: 

^^This  rule  is  consonant  to  Scripture  and 
reason." 

He  was  consonant  with  himself  to  the  last. 

— Goldsmith. 
Consult  With. 

To  seek  the  opinion  of  another ;  as : 

^'He  consulted  with  his  lawyer  about  the 
matter. ' ' 

(Also  used  absolutely;  as:  ^^He  consulted 
his  lawyer  about  the  matter.'') 

Contend  With  or  Against,  For. 

With  or  against. — To  struggle  in  opposition; 
as: 

''He  contended  with  (or  against)  this  weak- 
ness on  his  part,  but  with  no  avail." 

For. — To  strive  for;  to  use  earnest  endeavor, 
as  for  the  purpose  of  defending,  preserving, 
etc.,  as: 

All  that  I  contend  for  is  that  I  am  not  to  set 
out  with  a  definition  of  what  love  is. — Steele. 

Contiguous  To. 

Touching ;  as : 

A  picturesque  house  contiguous  to  the  church- 
yard, which  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  time  was  a 
palace,  and  was  visited  by  that  sovereign. 

— W.  Winter. 
Contradictory  To. 

Antagonistic  to;  incapable  of  being  together; 
as: 

Schemes  .  .  .  absurd  and  contradictory 
to  common  sense. — Addison. 


30  THE  COREECT  PREPOSITION: 

\J  Contrast  With. 

To  place  in  opposition  or  represent  in  com- 
parison in  order  to  show  unlikeness ;  as : 
'     It  was  his  great  delight  to  contrast  the  pleas- 
ures of  home  with  the  hardwships  of  school. 

— Maria  Edgeworth. 

Contrary  To. 
Opposite,  Against. 
**His  assertions  were  contrary  to  reason.". . . 

Controversy  With,  Against,  Between. 

With. — ^Argument  with;  disputation  in  re- 
gard to ;  as : 

*^He  was  engaged  in  a  controversy  with  his 
employers,  about  the  matter." 

About. — Argument  about. 

(See  ahout  in  preceding  sentence.) 

Between. — Argument  between  two  persons; 
as: 

*'The  controversy  between  them  grew  fiercer 
every  moment." 

Convenient  For,  To. 
For. — Affording  certain  facilities;  as: 
**It  will  be  convenient  for  me  to  come." 
To. — Favorable  as  to  position,  time,  etc. ;  as : 
**The  house  is  convenient  to  the  station." 

Converse  With. 

To  talk  with;  as : 

**He  conversed  with  his  teacher  for  several 

hours." 

Conversant  With,  About  (sometimes  In). 

With.— 

To  be  familiar  with;  as :  .... 

*^He  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  sub- 
ject under  discussion." 

About  or  with. — Having  concern  or  connec- 
tion with ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  .  31 

Education  is  conversant  about  children. 

—Sir  E.  Wotten. 

Moral  action  is  conversant  almost  wholly  with 
evidence  which  in  itself  is  only  probable. 

— Gladstone. 

Convert  To,  Into. 

To, — To  change  ^o;  as: 
^^He  was  converted  to  that  belief." 
Into, — To  change  into;  as: 
^^The  money  was  converted  into  food  and 
clothing  for  the  poor." 

Copy  After,  From  or  Out  Of. 

After, — To  imitate;  as: 

^*He  copied  after  his  teacher." 

From  or  out  of, — To  make  a  duplicate  from; 
as: 

^^He  copied  the  article  from  (or  out  of)  the 
newspaper." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  laws  apparently 
good  are  (as  it  were)  things  copied  out  of  the 
very  tables  of  that  high  everlasting  law. 

— Hooker, 
Correspond  With  or  To,  With,  To. 

With  or  to, — To  be  in  conformity  or  agree- 
ment with;  have  an  answering  form  or  nature; 
as: 

*^The  promise  and  the  performance  do  not 
correspond  with  (or  to)  each  other." 

**His  expenditures  do  not  correspond  to  (or 
with)  his  income." 

With, — To  hold  communion;  as: 

''They  have  corresponded  tvith  each  other  for 
several  years." 

To, — To  be  in  the  same  or  an  analogous  rela- 
tion to  one  set  of  objects  that  something  else  is 
to  another  set  of  objects ;  as : 


32  THE  COKKECT  PREPOSITION- 

^  ^  The  United  States  House  of  Eepresentatives 
corresponds  to  the  New  York  Assemhly.'^ 

Couple  By,  With,  Together,  To,  In. 

By. ^— To  link  by;  as: 

^  ^  The  cars  were  coupled  by  the  workmen  with 
iron  chains/' 

With.— To  link  with. 

(See  with  in  preceding  sentence.) 

They  lost  no  time  in  coupling  his  name  with 
the  names  of  the  most  hateful  tyrants  of  whom 
history  makes  mention. — Macaulay. 

Together. — To  link  together ;  as : 

The  cars  were  coupled  together. 

In. — The  cars  were  coupled  in  pairs. 

Covered  With,  By. 

With. — To  envelop  with;  to  spread  over;  as: 

**The  ground  was  covered  with  snow.'' 

By. — To  envelop  hy ;  as : 

^^The  leaves  were  gently  covered  by  the  pro- 
tecting snow." 

Cure  Of. 

To  restore  to  health  or  to  a  sound  state ;  as : 

'  ^  He  was  cured  of  fever. ' ' 
Danger  Of. 

Exposure  to  any  chance  of  evil  of  any  kind; 
as: 

He  that  is  but  half  a  philosopher  is  in  danger 
of  being  an  atheist. — Bp.  Atterbury. 
Dash  Against,  Upon,  With. 

Against. — Throw    suddenly    and    violently; 

as: 
If  you  dash  a  stone  against  a  stone    *     *     * 

it  maketh  a  sound. — Bacon. 

Upon. — An  impetuous  movement ;  as : 

' '  The  waves  dash  upon  the  rocks. ' ' 

With. — To  sprinkle ;  bespatter ;  splash ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  33 

Vast  basins  of  marble  dashed  mth  perpetual 
cascades. — Walpole, 

Dated  At  or  From. 

At, — To  mark  with  a  date ;  as : 

A  letter  was  received  from  him  dated  at  a 
small  Dutch  village. — Irving, 

From, — To  reckon  from  some  point  in  time; 
as: 

^^Protestanism  dates  from  1517." 

Deaf  To. 

Unmoved ;  as : 

*  *  He  was  deaf  to  all  entreaty. ' ' 
Deal  In,  With,  By  or  Toward,  Out,  Between. 

In. — To  traffic;  as: 

**He  deals  in  pig-iron." 

*^In,  With,  By  or  Toward, — To  act;  in  a  mat- 
ter ;  with,  by,  or  toward  sl  person  or  thing ;  as : 

**He  dealt  unfairly  in  this  matter." 

I  will  deal  with  you  as  one  should  deal  with 
his  Confessor. — Howells, 

Such  an  one  deals  not  fairly  hy  his  own  mind. 

— Locke, 

With, — To  conspire ;  as : 

Now  have  they  dealt  with  my  pothecary  to 
poison  me. — Jonson, 

Out. — To  distribute ;  as : 

And  Rome  deals  out  her  blessings  and  her 
gold. — Tickell. 

Between, — To  act  as  an  intermediary;  as: 

Sometimes  he  that  deals  between  man  and 
man. — Bacon. 

(Also  absolutely ;  as :    The  Chutes  and  I  deal 
extremely  together. — Walpole,) 
Debar  From  (sometimes  witb  Of). 

To  bar  or  shut  out ;  as : 

Their  wages  were  so  low  as  to  debar  them 


34  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

*     *     *    from  the  common  decencies  of  civil- 
ized life. — Buckle, 

She  was  expiring;  and  yet  I  was  debarred 
the  small  comfort  of  weeping  by  her. 

— Goldsmith. 

Decadence  Of. 

Falling  away ;  as : 

One  feature     *     *     *    ^as  the  gradual  deca- 
dence of  patriotism. — Lechie. 
Decide  On  or  Upon. 

To  determine ;  as : 

Shall  I  wait  a  day  ere  I  decide 

On  doing  or  not  doing  justice  here? 

— Browning, 

^^He  has  decided  upon  his  course.'' 
Defend  From,  Against. 

From, — To  protect  from  danger ;  as : 

''Defend  us  from  the  perils  and  dangers  of 
this  night.'' 

Against, — To  maintain  against  attack;  as: 

^^He  defended  himself  against  four  men." 
Defer  To. 

To  submit  in  opinion ;  as : 

Colonel  Sherman  here  says     *     *     *     and  I 
guess  we  had  better  defer  to  his  opinion. — Lin- 
coln. 
Deference  To,  For. 

To, — A  yielding  in  opinion ;  as : 

Deference  to  the  authority  of  thoughtful  and 
sagacious  men. — Whewell. 

For. — Eespect,  regard;  as: 

He  has  no  deference  for  their   inclinations, 
tempers,  or  conditions. — Locke. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  35 

Deficient  In. 

Lacking;  as: 

The  style  was  indeed  deficient  in  ease  and 
variety. — Macaulay. 

Delighted  At,  In,  With,  By. 

At. — Satisfaction ;  as : 

'  *  I  am  delighted  at  the  progress  you  are  mak- 
ing/' 

In. — To  take  pleasure  in;  as: 

'^He  delighted  in  doing  good  deeds." 

With. — Greatly  pleased ;  as : 

*^I  am  delighted  with  my  new  home.'' 

By. — To  affect  with  rapture ;  as : 

^^The  ear  is  delighted  by  harmony." 
Deliver  From,  Out  Of,  Of,  To,  Into,  Up,  Over,  At. 

From,  Out  of. — To  free ;  as : 

^^He  was  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
enemy  and  from  the  fear  of  death." 

Of. — To  disburden ;  as : 

Tully  was  long  before  he  could  be  delivered 
of  a  few  verses. — Peacham. 

To,  Into. — Transfer ;  as : 

**The  package  was  delivered  to  the  boy." 

Thou  shalt  deliver  Pharaoh's    cup   into   his 
hand. — Gen.  xl.  13. 

Up,  Over. — To  yield;  as: 

Deliver  up  their  children  to  the  famine. 

— Jer.  XVIII.  2. 

'*He  delivered  over  the  money  held  in  trust." 

At. — Place;  as: 

^^He  delivered  a  speech  at  Dover." 
Demand  Of,  Upon,  From. 

Of. — To  require  as  by  right ;  as : 

We  demand  of  superior  men  that  they  be 
superior  in  this. — Emerson. 

Upon. — A  claim,  as : 


36  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

**What  are  your  demands  upon  the  estate/' 

From, — A  request ;  as : 

**Upon  a  demand  from  the  court,  the  books 
were  produced.'' 
Denounce  Against,  To,  For. 

Against, — Proclaim;  as: 

The  laws  of  the  United  States  have  de- 
nounced heavy  penalties  against  the  traffic  in 
slaves. — Webster, 

To, — Inform  against ;  as : 

*^  Innocent  citizens  were  constantly  denounced 
to  the  government." 

For, — Stigmatize;  as: 

Denounced  for  a  heretic. — Sir  T.  More. 
Depend  From,  On,  Upon. 

From. — To  hang;  as: 
From  the  frozen  beard 
Long  icicles  depend. — Dryden. 

On, — To  have  full  reliance ;  as : 

**I  depend  on  you  to  do  so." 

Upon. — To  be  dependent  upon;  as: 

*'The  price  asked  for  a  commodity  depends 
upon  the  amount  on  hand." 
Dependent  On  or  Upon. 

Subordinate ;  subject  to ;  as : 

** Nature  is  dependent  on  God." 

**  All  men  are  largely  dependent  upon  one  an- 
other." 
Deprive  Of. 

To  take  something  away ;  as : 

Each    colony might    deprive    itself    of 

some  right  or  power. — A.  Oilman. 
Derogate  From. 

Detract;  as: 

*^The  charge  cannot  derogate  from  his 
honor." 


EOW  TO  USE  IT  37 

Derogation  To,  Of,  From. 

To, — Disparagement;  as: 

I  hope  it  is  no  derogation  to  the  Christian  re- 
ligion.— Locke. 

Of. — Detraction;  as: 

He  counted  it  no  derogation  of  his  manhood 
to  be  seen  to  weep. — F.  W.  Robertson, 

From. — A  lessening  of  value  or  estimation; 
as: 

It  reads  the  Scriptures  as  literature,  yet  with 
no  derogation  from  their  inspiration. — Hunger. 

Derogatory  To  (sometimes  From). 

Detracting  in  value ;  lessening  in  good  repute ; 
as: 

His  language  was  severely  censured  by  some 
of  his  brother  peers  as  derogatory  to  their  or- 
der.— Macaulay. 

Derogatory  from  the  wisdom  and  power  of 
the  Author  of  nature. — Cheyne. 

Descend  From,  On,  Upon  or  To. 

From. — To  pass  from  a  higher  to  (or  into) 
a  lower  place;  to  pass  down,  as  from  genera- 
tion to  generation ;  as :  ^ 
^  ^  He  descended  from  the  tower. ' ' 
*^The  robbers  descended  into  the  plain." 
**John  Eandolph  was  descended  from  Poca- 
hontas.'' 

On  or  Upon. — To  come  violently  or  menac- 
ingly; as: 

And  on  the  suitors  let  thy  wrath  descend. 

— Pope. 

*^The  fleet  descended  upon  Copenhagen." 
To. — To   lower  oneself  in  moral  or  social 

standing ;  to  pass,  as  from  general  to  particular 

statements;  as: 


38  THE  COKRECT  PREPOSITION: 

*^He  would  not  descend  to  baseness/' 

^^  Historians  rarely  descend  to  those  details 

from  which  alone  the  real  state  of  a  community 

can  be  collected. — Macaulay, 

Deserve,  Of. 
To  merit ;  as : 
'^He  deserves  well  of  his  country." 

J  Desirous  Of,  To. 

0/. — ^Wishing  to  obtain ;  as : 
*^He  was  desirous  of  obtaining  a  seat  in  the 
cabinet. ' ' 

To. — Eagerly  wishing;  as; 

a  great  company  of  men,  as  desirous  to 

go  in,  but  durst  not. — Butler. 

Desist  From. 

Forbear;  as: 

Eecommending   their   countrymen  to   desist 
from  the  use  of  tea. — Irving. 

Despair  Of. 
Become  hopeless ;  as : 
^^They  despair  of  his  life.'' 
Destine  To,  For. 

To. — Foreordain ;  as : 

We  are  decreed. 
Eeserved,  and  destined  to  eternal  woe. 

— Milton.  . 

For. — To  appoint  to  a  purpose ;  as : 
*'He  was  destined  for  the  law." 

Destructive  To,  Of. 

To. — Pernicious;  ruinous;  as: 

**Evil  examples  are  destructive  to  the  morals 
of  youth. ' ' 

Of. — Causing  destruction ;  as : 

** Intemperance  is  destructive  of  life." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  39 

Detract  From. 

Take  away  from ;  as : 

It  detracts  nothing  from  military  skill  to  have 
been  aided  by  political  sagacity. — Canning, 

Devolve  On  or  Upon  (sometimes  To  or  Into). 

To  transfer ;  transmit ;  as : 

The  melancholy  task  devolved  on  Guicciar- 
dini. — Macaulay. 

They  devolved their  power  upon  their 

favorite. — Burke, 

His  estate devolved  to  Lord  Somerville. 

— Johnson. 

They  devolved  their  whole  authority  into  the 
hands  of  the  council  of  sixty. — Addison. 

Dictate  Of,  To. 

Of. — A  guiding  principle ;  as : 

It  was  the  dictate  of  trade  to  keep  the  negro 
down. — Emerson. 

To. — To  speak  with  final  authority;  as: 

Bonaparte  now  dictated  to   all  the  nations. 

— Canning. 

Die  Of,  By,  From,  For,  In,  Witliin,  To,  Unto. 

Ofy  By,  From,  For. — To  cease  to  live ;  as : 

*^Some  soldiers  die  of  disease,  some  hy  the 
sword,  and  some  from  exposure ;  but  all  die  for 
their  country.'' 

In,  Within. — Figurative ;  as : 

** Ambition  died  within  him." 

,When  I  look  upon  the  tombs  of  the  great 
.     .     .    envy  dies  in  me. — Addison. 

To,  Unto. — Conquer  desire  or  interest ;  as : 

**To  enter  a  monastery  is  to  die  to  the 
world." 

*  *  To  die  unto  sin ;  to  live  unto  righteousness. ' ' 

Differ  From.  With. 

From. — Unlikeness;  as; 


40  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

In  all    .    .    .    how  little  the  younger  Eng- 
land differs  from  the  elder. — Freeman, 

From  or  With, — To  be  of  a  contrary  opinion ; 
as: 

The  first  thing    ...    is  to  dare  to  differ 
from  his  father. — TF.  Phillips, 

With, — To  have  a  difference;  quarrel;  as: 

We'll  never  differ  with  a  crowded  pit. 

— Rowe. 

Difference  Between,  Among,  In,  Of,  With,  From,  By. 

Between. — ^Distinction  between;  as: 

^*The  difference  between  natural  and  revealed 
religion. ' ' 

Among. — Controversy ;  as : 

**The  differences  among  the  men   were    ad- 
justed peaceably.'' 

In, — Variation;  as: 

**  There  is  a  noticeable  difference  in  their  ap- 
pearance." 

Of. — That  by  which  one  thing  differs  from 
another;  as: 

The  marks  and  differences  of  sovereignty. 

— Davies. 

With. — Quarrel ;  as : 

I  am  myself  a  good  deal  ruffled  by  a  differ- 
ence I  have  had  with  Julia. — Sheridan. 

From  (v.  t.) — To  distinguish ;  as : 

Thou  mayest  difference  gods  from  men. 

— Chapman, 

By  (v.  t.) — To  make  different;  as:  * 

Differenced  by  their  garlands  only. 

— Jonson, 
Different  From. 

Not  the  same;  as: 

*^He  is  very  different  from  his  brother." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  41 

(Or  used  absolutely;  as :    ^'The  two  boys  are 
very  different.'') 
Differently  From. 

In  a  different  manner ;  as : 

^*My  book  is  bound  differently  from  yours." 

Diflaculty  In,  Of,  About. 
In, — Obstruction  to  belief  or  consent ;  as : 
Difficulties  in  revelation  are  especially  given 
to  prove  our  faith. — Newman, 

Of, — That  which  makes  a  thing  hard  to  ac- 
complish; as: 

*^The  chief  difficulty  of  the  enterprise  is  the 
scarcity  of  labor." 
About. — Obstructive  behavior;  as: 
**  There  was  some  difficulty  about  his  signing 
the  deed." 

Digress  From,  Into. 

From, — To  turn  aside  from  the  main  subject 
to  dwell  on  some  incidental  matter;  as: 

'*He  frequently  digressed  from  the  story  to 
describe  the  scenery." 

Into. — To  deviate;  swerve;  as: 

Let  the  student  of  our  history  digress  into 
whatever  other  fields  he  will. — Stephens, 

Dilate  On  or  Upon. 

To  speak  at  length ;  as : 
But  stillthey  on  their  ancient  joys  dilate. 

— Crabbe. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dilate  upon  what  has 
been  sufficiently  pointed  out. — Craih, 

(Or  absolutely;  as:  ^^I  intend  to  speak  to 
the  point,  and  will  neither  digress  nor  dilate.'') 
Diminish  From,  By. 

From. — To  take  way;  as: 

*^  Nothing  is  to  be  diminished  from  the  royal 
dignity." 


42  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

By. — To  reduce  in  any  way ;  as : 

His  resources  had  been  greatly  diminished  by 
the  war. — Bancroft. 
Diminution  Of. 

Eeduction ;  lessening ;  as : 

This  diminution  of  profits  would  cause  capital 
to  be  withdrawn. — Fawcett. 

Dip  In  or  Into. 

To  engage  slightly  in  any  affair;  to  pene- 
trate; as: 

We  dipt  in  all 
That  treats  of  whatsoever  is. — Tennyson, 

Dipped  into  a  multitude  of  books. — Macaulay, 

When  I  dipt  into  the  future. — Tennyson. 
Direct  To,  Toward,  At. 

To. — Indicate  direction;  as: 

*  *  Can  you  direct  me  to  the  Post  Office  ? ' ' 

Toward. — Determine  in  respect  to  direction; 
as: 

I  have  sometimes  reflected  for  what  reason 
the  Turks  should  appoint  such  marks  to  direct 
their  faces  toward  in  prayer. — Maundrell. 

At. — To  point  or  aim  at ;  as : 

His  remarks  were  directed  at  you. 
Disaffection  Of,  To.  ' 

Of. — Disloyalty,  hostility ;  as : 

The  King  was  made  desperate  by  the  disaf- 
fection of  his  Barons. — Dickens. 

To. — Dislike;  as: 

'^Disaffection  to  religion." 
Disagree  With,  In,  About. 

With. — Unfavorable  in  action  or  effect ;  as : 

The  water  of  the  Nile  sometimes  disagrees 
for  a  few  days  ivith  strangers. — Rawlinson. 

In,  With,  About. — Differ  in  opinion,  with  a 
person,  about  a  matter ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  43 

^^  Though  he  disagreed  in  opinion  with  me 
about  the  wisdom  of  going,  he  yielded  to  my 
desire. '^ 

Disagreeable  To. 

Unpleasing;  distasteful;  as: 

That  which  is  disagreeable  to  one  is  many 
times  agreeable  to  another. — Wallaston. 

^^Food  is  sometimes  disagreeable  to  the 
taste.'' 

Disagreement  With,  Between,  Of,  To. 

With. — A  wrangle,  a  falling  out ;  as : 

His  resignation  was  owing  to  a  disagreement 

with  his  coadjutor. — Coxe. 
Between, — A  misunderstanding;  as: 
^^The  disagreement  between  the  two  men  has 

become  more  acute." 

Of    ,     .     .     To. — Lack  of  conformity;  as: 
From  these  different  relations    .    .    .    arises 

an  agreement  or  disagreement  of  some  things 

to  others. — Clarke. 

Disappointed  In,  Of,  By,  About. 

In. — Fail  to  fulfil  expectation ;  as : 
* '  I  was  disappointed  in  his  new  book. ' ' 
Of. — Hindered  from  obtaining  something  de- 
sired ;  as : 

Being  thus  disappointed  of  our  purpose,  we 
gathered  the  fruit  we  found  ripe. 

— Capt.  John  Smith. 

By. — Defeat  the  aim  of ;  as : 

**They  disappointed  us  by  remaining  away.'' 

About. — That  which  causes  disappointment; 
as: 

**We  were  very  much  disappointed  about  the 
weather. ' ' 


44  '  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Disapprove  Of. 

To  regard  as  wrong ;  as : 

*^She  disapproves  of  dancing/' 

(Also   absolutely;    as:     *'Tlie   court   disap- 
proved the  verdict. '0 
Discontented  With. 

Dissatisfied;  as: 

**The  peasants  are  becoming  discontented 
with  their  lot  in  life. ' ' 

Discourage  From. 

Deter ;  as : 

*'You  need  not  be  discouraged  from  a  like  at- 
tempt.'' 

Discouragement  To. 

That  which  deters  from  an  undertaking  or 
from  a  course  of  conduct ;  as : 

^^Good  laws  present  discouragement  to  vice." 
Discrepancy  Between,  In. 

Betiveen, — Discordance ;  as : 

^* There  is  a  noticeable  discrepancy  between 
his  appearance  and  his  manners." 

In, — Disagreement  between  things  expected 
to  correspond;  as: 

i  i  There  is  a  discrepancy  in  his  accounts. ' ' 

Discrepant  From. 

Different;  as: 

The  Egyptians  were  .  .  .  the  most  oddly 
discrepant  from  the  rest  in  their  manner  of 
worship. — Cudworth, 

Discriminate  From,  Between. 

From, — To  distinguish  from  something  else; 
as: 

To  discriminate  the  goats  from  the  sheep. 

— Barrow. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  45 

Between. — To  draw  a  distinction;  as: 
We  may  not  be  able  to  discriminate  between 
the  sensitive  plant  and  the  animal. — Hopkins, 

Disdain  For. 

Contempt  and  aversion ;  as : 

**The  rich  often  have  an  unjust  disdain  for 
the  poor.'^ 
Disengage  From. 

Eelease;  as: 

* '  The  boat  was  disengaged  from  the  weeds. ' ' 

Disgust  With,  At,  By. 

With, — Extreme  dislike  or  distaste ;  as : 
*^We  were  disgusted  with  the  man's  vulgar 

pretensions.  ^ ' 
At, — To  offend  the  mind  or  moral  sense  of; 

as: 
**They  were  disgusted  at  his  cowardice." 
By, — That  which  creates  disgust ;  as : 
Alarmed  and  disgusted  by  the  proceedings  of 

the  convention. — Macaulay, 

Dislike  To,  Of. 
To, — Aversion ;  as : 

God's  grace    .     .    .    give  him  continual  dis- 
like to  sin. — Hammond, 
Of, — Eepugnance ;  as : 
His  dislike  of  a  particular  kind  of  sensational 

stories. — Ward. 

Disparagement  To. 
Diminution  of  value  or  excellence ;  as : 
It  ought  to  be  no  disparagement  to  a  star  that 

it  is  not  the  sun. — South, 

Disparity  In  or  Of,  Between. 
In  or  Of, — Difference  in  any  respect;  as: 
**A  disparity  in  or  of  tastes  between  husband 

and  wife  is  unfortunate." 
Between, — Inequality ;  as : 


46  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

The  disparity  between  God  and  his  intelligent 
creatures. — Taylor. 

Dispense  With. 

To  do  without;  as: 

'*I  can  dispense  with  your  services." 

Dispute  With,  Against,  For. 

With,  Against. — To  engage  in  argument;  as: 
'  Therefore  disputed  he  in  the  synagogue  with 
the  Jews. — Acts  xvii.  17. 

**He  disputed  against  the  measure.'' 

For. — Compete;  as: 

*^They  disputed  for  the  prize." 

(Also  absolutely;  as:  **The  victory  was 
fiercely  disputed. ") 

Disqualify  For  (sometimes  From). 
To  render  unfit ;  as : 

'^111  health  disqualifies  the  body  for  labor." 
Men  are  not  disqualified    .     .     .    from  being 

received  in  high  society. — Southey. 

Dissent  From. 

To  be  of  a  contrary  opinion ;  as : 

They  took  the  freedom  to  dissent  from  one 
another  in  discourse. — Addison. 

Dissuade  From. 
Divert  by  argument  or  appeal ;  as : 
**I  could  not  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose." 

Distaste  For. 

Dislike;  as: 

A  certain  taste  for  figures  coupled  with  a  still 
stronger  distaste  for  Latin. — Clerhe. 

Distinct  From. 

Standing  apart ;  as : 

Why  ever  make  man's  good  distinct  from 
God's? — Browning.  •         ^ 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  47 

Distinction  Between,  Of . 

Between, — A  characteristic  difference;  as: 

I    .     .     .     studied  the  distinctions  between 
religious  and  civil  rights. — Milton. 

Of. — Eegard  the  differences ;  as : 

Jesus  teaches  universal  love  without  distinc- 
tion of  race,  merit,  or  rank. — Geikie. 
Distinguish  Between,  By,  Into,  From,  For. 

Between. — To  make  a  distinction ;  as : 
The  reader  must  distinguish  between  prov- 
erbs and  those  polite  speeches  which  beautify 
conversation. — Swift. 
By. — To  make  noted ;  as : 
'*Nero  distinguished  himself  by  his  cruelty." 
Into. — To  separate  by  classification ;  as : 
The  seasons  of  year  at  Tonquin  are  distin- 
guished into  Wet  and  Dry. — Dampier. 
From. — To  tell  apart;  as : 
*'The  fog  was  so  heavy  we  could  not  distin- 
guish one  object  from  another. ' ' 

To  mark  off  by  some  characteristic ;  as : 
**  California  is  distinguished  for  its  salubrious 
climate. ' ' 
Diversion  Of,  To. 
Turning  of  an  object  to  another  purpose;  as: 
''Cutting  of  the  tops  causes  reversion  of  the 
sap  to  the  sprouts  that  are  backward. ' ' 
Divest  Of. 

To  strip  of  anything  that  surrounds  or  at- 
tends; as: 

^  It  requires  reflection  to  divest  Nature  of  her 
living  expression. — Max  Miiller. 
Divide  Among,  Between,  With,  In,  Into,  On,  Whom,  From,  By. 
Among. — ^Distribute  among  many ;  as : 
''The  profits  were  divided  among  the  share- 
holders." 


48  THE  COEKECT  PREPOSITION: 

Between, — Divide  between  two ;  as : 

**The  profits  were  divided  between  the  part- 
ners. ^^ 

With. — Share  with;  as : 

*^The  profits  were  divided  with  the  work- 
men." 

In,  Into. — To  cause  to  be  separate ;  as : 

Divide  the  living  child  in  two. — 1  Kings  iii, 
25. 

**The   equator   divides  the   earth  into   two 
hemispheres.'' 

On,  Upon. — To  disagree  in  opinion ;  as : 

*^The  community  is  divided  on  this  question." 

*  *  The    legislature    was    divided    upon    this 
point." 

From. — To  separate ;  as : 

Let  it  divide  the  waters  from  the  waters. 

— Gen.  i,  6. 

By. — To  disunite ;  as : 

**They  were  divided  by  death." 

Due  From,  To,  At,  In. 

From. — That  is  looked  for ;  as : 

* '  A  storm  is  due  from  the  West  Indies. ' ' 

To.— Owing  ^o;  as: 

'  *  The  delay  was  due  to  an  accident. ' ' 

At,  In. — Appointed  or  expected  to  arrive ;  as : 

*'The  train  is  due  at  noon." 

*^He  is  due  in  New  York  to-morrow." 

Dwell  On,  Upon,  In,  On,  At. 

On,  Upon. — Expatiate,  pause  or  tarry ;  as : 
I  must  not  divell  on  that  defeat  of  fame. 

— Tennyson. 

The  mind  must  abide  and  dwell  upon  things. 

— South. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  49 

In,  On,  At. — Eeside ;  to  live  as  a  settled  resi- 
dent ;  as : 

*'He  dwells  in  New  York  either  on  Fifth  Ave- 
nue or  at  the  Knickerbocker  Hotel.'' 

Eager  For,  To,  In. 

For, — Impatiently  anxious ;  as : 

*^The  men  were  eager  for  the  fray.*' 

To. — Ardently  desiring ;  as: 

*^He  was  eager  to  see  his  friends." 

In. — Impetuous;  as: 

*^The  hounds  were  eager  in  the  chase." 

Embark  At,  For,  In. 

At,  For. — To  go  aboard  a  ship  for  a  voy- 
age ;  as : 

^^The  troops  embarked  at  London  for 
Malta." 

In. — To  make  a  beginning  in  some  occupa- 
tion, invest;  as: 

Slow  to  embark  in  an  undertaking. 

— Macaulay, 

**He  embarked  his  fortune  in  trade." 

Embellish  With,  By. 

With,  By. — To  set  off  with  ornamentation; 
as: 

^'The  garden  was  embellished  with  flowers 
and  shrubs." 

**The  book  was  embellished  by  engravings." 

By. — The  person  who  ornaments  or  deco- 
rates ;  as : 

The  story,  though  embellished  by  Diomedes, 
still  was  founded  upon  old  tradition. 

-— 'De  Quincey. 
Emerge  From. 

To  come  into  view ;  as : 

Thetis  emerging  from  the  deep. — Dryden. 


50  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

Employ  In,  About,  On,  Upon,  By. 

Occupation ;  as : 

**They  were  employed  in  removing  the 
wreck. ' ' 

*^The  two  men  were  employed  about  the 
bank.'' 

*'Many  men  are  employed  on  the  building." 

**He  is  employed  upon  a  work  of  much  diffi- 
culty." 

By, — Employer ;  as : 

**He  is  employed  by  the  government." 
Emulous  Of. 

Inclined  to  irritative  rivalry;  desirous  of 
equaling  or  excelling ;  as : 

Each  moment  has  its  sickle,  emulous. 

Of  Time's  enormous  scythe. — Young. 
Enamour  Of,  Of  or  With. 

Of. — To  inflame  with  love ;  as : 

He  became  passionately  enamoured  of  this 
shadow  of  a  dream. — Irving. 

Of  or  With. — To  be  captivated  with  some  ob- 
ject ;  as : 

**He  was  deeply  enamoured  of  or  with  sci- 
ence. ' ' 

*^I  was  so  enamoured  with  this  place.  ..." 

—DeFoe. 
Encompassed  By. 

Surrounded;  as: 

We  live  encompassed  by  mysteries. — Lewes. 

Encourage  With,  In,  By,  To. 

With. — Aid  or  promise ;  as : 

^^He  encouraged  him  with  the  promise  of  re- 
ward." 

In. — In  spirit ;  as : 

'^He  was  encouraged  in  his  undertaking  by 
the  approval  of  his  superiors. ' ' 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  51 

By, — To  help  forward ;  as : 

''The  enterprise  was  encouraged  by  the  sup- 
port of  the  citizens." 

To, — Incite  to  action ;  as : 

*'He  was  encouraged  to  renewed  exertion." 

At, — Hopeful ;  as : 

''We  feel  encouraged  at  the  favorable  turn  of 
events." 

Encouragement  To>  Of. 

To. — Incitement  to  action  or  perseverance; 
as: 

"These  laws  are  an  encouragement  to  vir- 
tue." 

Of. — Promoting  or  advancing ;  as : 

All  generous  encouragement  of  arts. — Otway, 

Encroach  On,  Upon. 

To  make  inroads,  trespass ;  as : 

Among  primitive  men  .  .  .  one  encroaches 
on  another's  territory. — H,  Spencer, 

"Old  age  is  encroaching  upon  me." 
Endear  To. 

Eender  valued  or  beloved ;  as : 

"He  endeared  himself  to  all  his  friends." 

Endow  With,  By. 

With, — To  furnish,  as  with  some  gift  or  qual- 
ity ;  as : 

Beings  endowed  with  life,  but  not  with  soul. 

— Holmes, 

By, — That  which  endows ;  as : 

"Man  is  endowed  by  his  Maker  with  reason." 
Endue  With. 

Invest  with  some  spiritual  or  moral  qual- 
ity ;  as : 

Let  them  be  men  endued  with  wisdom  from 
above. — Wesley. 


53  THE  COREECT  PREPOSITION: 

Engage  In,  With,  For,  To. 
In. — To  occupy  one's  self;  as: 
*^He  is  zealously  engaged  in  the  cause.'' 
With, -^1^0  enter  into  a  conflict ;  occupy  ivith; 

as: 

'^The  troops  engaged  with  the  enemy." 

*^I  was  engaged  with  my  lawyer  for  several 

hours. ' ' 

For, — To  secure  for  aid,  use,  or  the  like ;  as : 
'^The  carriage  is  engaged  for  the  evening." 
To. — Betrothal;  as: 
I  have  engaged  myself  to  a  dear  friend. 

— Shakespeare. 

Engrave  In,  On,  Upon,  With. 

In,  On,  Upon. — To  cut  or  carve  in  sunken  pat- 
terns, on  or  upon  sl  stone ;  in,  on  or  upon  metal 

or  wood ;  as : 
.   .   .     Whose  names  are  engraved  upon  the 

stone. — Howell. 

'*From  Edith"  was  engraved  on  the  blade. 

— Tennyson. 

^^ Engraved  in  the  wood  were  these  words 
•  •  • 
In  or  On. — Impress  deeply ;  as : 
Engrave  principles  in  men's  minds. — Locke, 

**His  teachings  are  engraved  on  my  mem- 
ory. ' ' 

With. — That  which  is  cut  in ;  as : 

Like   ...   a  signet  shalt  thou  engrave  the 
two  stones  with  the  names  of  the  children  of 
Israel. — Ex.  xxviii,  11. 
Enjoin  On,  Upon,  Prom. 

On,  Upon. — To  lay  a  command  or  injunction 
upon;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  53 

^* Diligence  was  enjoined  upon  the  pupil/' 
''I  enjoin  it  on  you  not  to  disappoint  me." 
From, — In  law,  to  prohibit  or  restrain;  as: 
This  is  a  suit  to  enjoin  the  defendants  from 
disturbing  the  plaintiffs. — Kent, 

Enlarge  On,  Upon,  By. 

On,  Upon, — To  state  at  large;  as: 
It  would  be  easy  to  enlarge  ,  ,  .  on  the  influ- 
ence of  the  surrounding  world. — Foster, 

To  enlarge  upon  this  theme. — M,  Arnold. 

By, — To  grow  larger ;  as : 
*'A  plant  enlarges  by  growth." 

Enraged  At,  With,  Against. 

At, — Made  furious  by  some  act ;  as : 
**IIe  was  enraged  at  the  insult  offered." 
With,  Against, — Anger  with  or  against  a  per- 
son; as: 

**The  King  was  enraged  with  (or  against) 
his  nobles  for  their  duplicity." 

Enrich  With,  By. 

With, — Adorn ;  furnish  with  desirable  acqui- 
sitions; as: 

Culture  of  Greece  and  Eome  enriched  with 
precious  jewels  of  old-world  lore. — Clifford, 

The  columns  are  enriched  with  hieroglyphics. 

— PococJce, 

By, — To  make  rich ;  as : 

**He  was  enriched  by  a  legacy." 

'*The  land  was  enriched  by  irrigation." 
EnroU,  Enroll  In,  Among,  For. 

In. — To  enlist  in  a  military  body,  society,  or 
the  like ;  as : 

*^He  left  home  and  enrolled  in  the  army." 

Among, — Enter  a  name  in  a  list ;  as ; 


54  THE  COKKECT  PREPOSITION: 

Heroes  .  .  .  were  enrolled  among  their 
brethren  of  the  skies. — Swift, 

For. — For  service ;  as : 

**The  soldiers  were  enrolled  for  service  in 
the  Philippines. ' ' 

Ensnare,  Insnare  By,  With,  In. 

By. — Entrap;  as: 

^'He  was  ensnared  hy  the  traitor.'* 

With. — Allure  by  artifice ;  as : 

^^He  was  ensnared  with  the  man's  profession 
of  friendship.'' 

In. — Entangle ;  as : 

* '  The  Baron  suddenly  found  himself  ensnared 
in  the  toils  of  a  conspiracy. ' ' 

Enter,  In,  Into,  On,  Upon. 

In. — To  inscribe,  as  in  a  book ;  as : 
*^The  items  are  entered  in  the  day  book." 
Into. — Form  part  of ;  join  in ;  become  a  party 
to ;  engage  in,  comprehend ;  treat  fully ;  exam- 
ine ;  get  to  the  inside  of ;  as : 

*  ^  Oxygen  enters  into  many  compounds. ' ' 
**He  enters  into  the  children's  sports." 

*  *  The  city  has  entered  into  a  compact  to  beau- 
tify the  parks." 

The  original  project  of  discovery  had  been 
entered  into  with  indefinite  expectations  of  gain. 

— Prescott. 

He  entered  freely  into  the  distresses  and  per- 
sonal feelings  of  his  men. — Prescott. 

I  cannot  now  enter  into  the  particulars  of  my 
travels. — Gray. 

Into  the  merits  of  these  we  have  hardly  en- 
tered at  all,— Brougham, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  55 

Entered  we  are  not  into  the  visible  Church 
before  .  .  .  Baptism. — Hooker. 

On,  Upon. — Make  a  beginning  of ;  as: 
I  protest  .   .  .  yon  are  seriously  resolved  to 
enter  on  your  probation. — Sheridan. 

*  *  Sartor  Kesartus ' '  is  a  hard  study,  but  when 
once  entered  upon,  how  poetical ! — Stedman, 

Entertain,  At,  By,  With. 

At /By, — Care  for  by  hospitality ;  as: 

^^The  Ambassador  was  entertained  hy  the 
President  at  the  White  House. ' ' 

With, — Divert ;  as : 

* '  The  club  will  entertain  with  music  and  read-' 
ings. ' ' 

Entrance  Into,  On,  Upon. 

Into, — The  act  of  entering  a  place,  into  an 
office ;  as : 

*'His  entrance  into  the  room  was  followed  by 
a  deep  silence." 

'*Soon  after  his  entrance  into  office,  he  dis- 
missed the  chief. ' ' 

On,  Upon. — Entering  on  or  upon  a  work  or 
course  of  action,  upon  the  duties  of  an  office ;  as : 

**He  entered  on  (or  upon)  the  duties  of  the 
office  immediately  after  his  election." 

Entranced  In,  With. 

In. — Carried  away,  as  in  a  trance ;  as : 
**She  sat  entranced  in  thought." 
With. — Enraptured ;  as : 
**He  was  entranced  with  her  beauty." 

Envelop  In. 

Surround ;  inwrap ;  as : 

'  ^  The  ship  is  enveloped  in  fog. ' ' 


56  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Envious  Of,  Of    .    .    .    For,  Because  Of,  On  Account  Of. 

Feeling  envy;  jealously  pained  by  the  excel- 
lence or  good  fortune  of  another ;  as : 
My  soul  is  envious  of  mine  eye. — Keble, 

**He  was  envious  of  his  friend's  wealth." 
**He  was  envious  of  him  for,  on  account  of, 
or  because  of  his  wealth.'' 

Environ  With. 

Enclose,  encompass ;  as : 
**The  city  was  environed  with  a  wall." 
**The  undertaking  was  environed  with  diffi- 
culties. ' ' 

Envy  Of. 

Malicious  grudging ;  an  object  of  envy ;  as: 
* '  They  did  this  in  envy  of  Caesar. ' ' 
The  preacher  of  to-day  should  be  the  envy  of 
the  ages. — Wortman, 

Equal  To,  With. 

Commensurate,  adequate ;  of  the  same  degree 
with  each  other,  or  another ;  as : 

Were  my  fortunes  equal  to  my  desires. 

— Shakespeare. 

**We  are  not  equal  to  the  undertaking." 

**  Three  angles  of  a  triangle  are  equal  to  two 
right  angles." 

With — Used  in  Scripture,  rarely  in  modern 
speech;  as: 

....  Making  himself  equal  with  God. — John 
v:18. 

Equivalent  To. 

Equal  in  value,  force,  meaning,  etc. ;  as : 
^'Circumstantial    evidence    may    be    almost 
equivalent  to  full  proof. ' ' 


'HOW  TO  USE  IT  57 

Error  In,  Of. 

In, — A  mistake,  an  inaccuracy ;  as : 

*^ There  was  an  error  in  the  total  figures." 

Of.  —  A  wrong  -  doing ;    a  wrong  mode   of 
thought;  as: 

^^A  sacrifice  offered  for  the  errors  of  the 
people.'* 

*^His  going  at  that  time  was  an  error  of 
judgment. ' ' 
Escape  From  (sometimes  out  of). 

To  succeed  in  getting  away  from;    emerge 
into  freedom ;  as : 

Even  Russians,  when  they  die,  escape  from 
their  autocrat. — I).  G.  Ritchie. 

'*The  bird  escaped  out  of  the  cage." 
Espouse  To. 

To  promise  or  give  in  marriage ;  as : 

*  *  He  espoused  his  daughter  to  his  friend. ' ' 
Estimate  Of. 

A  calculation  not  professedly  exact ;  as : 

*^Give  me  an  estimate  of  the  cost." 
Estimated  At,  By. 

At. — ^Appraised;  as: 

*'The  land  is  estimated  at  $50.00  a  foot." 

By. — Judged ;  as : 

John  of  Salisbury's  acquaintance  with  Roman 
literature  can  only  be  estimated  by  a  careful 
reading  of  the  Polycraticus. — Stuhbs. 
Estrange  From. 

To  turn  from  attachment  to  enmity;    with- 
draw ;  as : 

I  do  not  know   .   .   .  what  it  is  that  has  65- 
tranged  him  from  me. — Pope. 

^'1  have  completely  estranged  myself  from 
society." 


58  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Example  Of,  For,  To.  , 

Of, — A  specimen ;  as : 

The  Duomo  of  Fiesole  is  an  example  of  the 
work  of  the  Tuscan  architects  of  the  eleventh 
century. — Norton. 

For,  To. — A  model  of  conduct  or  manners: 
as: 

**  Christ  was  an  example  for  all  men  to  fol- 
low.'' 

**A  clergyman  should  be  a  wholesome  exam- 
ple to  his  flock." 

Exasperated  By. 

Irritated  to  a  high  degree ;  as : 
**We  were  exasperated  by  the  man's  stubborn 
silence. ' ' 

Except  To,  From. 

To. — To  object ;  as : 

*^He  excepted  to  the  testimony  of  one  of  the 
witnesses." 

From. — Leave  out  of  consideration ;  as : 

**A  few  were  excepted  from  the  general  con- 
demnation. ' ' 

Exception  To  (sometimes  Against),  Of. 

*'He  took  exception  to  my  remarks." 
Thou  hast  taken  against  me  a  most  unjust 
exception. — Shakespeare, 

Of. — Exclusion;  as: 

*^A11  the  members  voted  for  the  measure  with 
the  exception  of  five." 

Excess  Of. 

Undue  quantity ;  as : 

I  will  dazzle  Caesar  with  excess  of  glory. 

— Fletcher. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  59 

Exchange  For,  Of. 

For, — That  which  is  given  or  received  in  re- 
turn for  something ;  as : 

An  Atheist's  laugh's  a  poor  exchange 

For  Deity  offended. — Burns. 

Of. — Mutual  transfer ;  as : 
**The  negotiations  resulted  in  an  exchange  of 
prisoners." 

Exclude  From. 

Except;  reject;  as: 

What  is  opposite  to  the  eternal  rules  of  rea- 
son and  good  sense  must  be  excluded  from  any- 
place in  the  carriage  of  a  well-bred  man. 

— Steele. 

Exclusive  Of. 

Excluding  from  consideration ;   as : 

**  There  were  five  thousand  troops,  exclusive 
of  artillery." 
Exempt  From. 

Not  subject  to ;  as : 

The  convent  [of  Mount  Sinai]  is  exempt  from 
all  jurisdiction. — Pococke. 
Exhausted  By. 

Deprived  of  strength ;  as: 

*^The  man  was  exhausted  by  disease  and  pri- 
vation. ' ' 
V  Exonerate  From. 

Remove  an  imputation ;  as : 

*^He  was  exonerated  from  blame  for  the  acci- 
dent." 
Except  From,  Of. 

From.  —  Await  something  as  likely  to  hap- 
pen ;  as : 

^^I  shall  expect  a  letter  from  you  next  week." 
Of. — To  reckon  upon ;  as : 


60  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

There  is  a  pride  of  doing  more  than  is  ex- 
pected of  us. — Dryden. 

Expectant  Of. 
Having  expectation;  as: 
Expectant  of  that  news  which  never  came. 

— Tennyson. 

(Or  absolutely;  as:  Eosy  years  that  stood 
expectant, — Lowell. ) 

Expel  From,  Out  of. 

To  drive  or  force  out ;  as : 
A  united  army  .   .   .   expelled  the  Austrians 
from  Bavaria. — Lecky, 

Did  ye  not  .  .  .  expel  me  out  of  my  father's 
house  ? — Judges  xi,  7, 
Expert  In,  At. 

In. — Trained ;  experienced ;  as : 

*'He  was  an  expert  in  chess.'' 

At. — Skilful ;  dexterous ;  as : 

The  skeptic  is  ever  expert  at  a  puzzling  de- 
bate.— Goldsmith. 
Expose  To,  For. 

To. — ^To  lay  open  to  any  influence  or  action; 
to  show  openly ;  as : 

Strong  minds  are  often  .  .  .  exposed  to 
doubt  and  uncertainty. — Crawford. 

' '  The  pictures  were  exposed  to  the  public. ' ' 
For. — Exhibit,  as  for  sale ;  as : 
**The  goods  were  exposed  for  sale." 

Expostulate  With,  On,  Upon. 

With. — Eeason  earnestly  with  a  person;  as: 
Men  expostulate  with  erring  friends. — Jowett. 

On,  Upon. — To  argue  against  something  done 
or  intended ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  61 

**He  expostulated  on  the  advisability  of  my 
going.'' 

He  .    .    .   expostulated  upon  my  obstinacy. 

—Goldsmith. 

Expressive  Of. 

Serving  to  express ;  as : 
Each  verse  so  swells  expressive  of  her  woes. 

—Tickell. 

Exult  Over,  In,  At. 

Over. — Rejoice  as  in  triumph ;  as : 
'  ^  He  exults  in  his  great  strength. ' ' 
*^The  nation  exulted  at  the  news  of  the  suc- 
cess of  the  army. ' ' 

Fail  Of,  In. 

Of. — To  come  short;  as: 

^^The  experiment  failed  of  success." 

In. — Prove  lacking ;  as : 

^  *  He  fails  in  his  duty. ' ' 
Fall  Under,  Into,  On,  Upon,  From,  To. 

Under. — Come  under ;  as : 

*^The  subject  falls  under  this  head.'' 

Into.  —  To   empty;    drop;    descend  from  a 
higher  to  a  lower  grade ;  as : 

*^The  Rhone  falls  into  the  Mediterranean." 

*  *  The  child  fell  into  the  water. ' ' 

**He  fell  into  bad  company." 

On. — Assault ;  as : 

I  saw  three  bandits  by  the  rock, 
Waiting  to  fall  on  you  .  .  . — Tennyson. 

Upon. — Descend  upon;  as : 

Fear  and  dread  shall  fall  upon  them. 

— Ex.  XV,  16. 

From,  To. — Descend  from  a  higher  to  a  lower 
place ;  as : 

**The  nut  fell  from  the  tree  to  the  ground." 

Familiar  With,  To. 


62  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

With, — Thoroughly  versed ;  as : 

**He  is  familiar  with  the  Scriptures." 

To. — Well  known,  as  from  frequent  use ;   as : 

*  *  That  story  is  familiar  to  me. ' ' 

Famous  For. 
Distinguished  in  story  or  common  report ;  as : 
I  have  always  heard  that  Holland  House  is 

famous  for  its  good  cheer. — Macaulay, 

Favor  Of,  With. 

0/. — Favoring;  as: 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  .  .  .  the  English 
people  were  in  favor  of  the  Stuarts. — McCarthy. 

With. — Being  favored ;  as : 

*^He  was  in  favor  with  the  administration.'' 

With,  V. — Accommodate ;  as : 

He  begged  to  be  favored  with  a  song. 

— Goldsmith. 
Favorable  To,  For. 

To. — Tending  to  promote ;  as : 
A  poetical  religion  must,  it  seems,  be  favor- 
able  to  art. — Gladstone. 

For. — Advantageous ;  as : 

'*The  weather  is  favorable  for  planting.'' 

Favorite  Of. 

A  person  or  thing  looked  upon  with  special 
favor ;  as : 

The  favorite  of  the  prince  is  rarely  the  favor- 
ite of  the  people. — Prescott. 

Fawn  On,  Upon. 
Use  blandishments ;  as : 
Prone  as  we  are  to  fawn  upon  ourselves. 

— Hooker. 

Courtiers  who  fawn  on  a  master  while  they 
betray  him. — Macaulay. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  63 

(Also  absolutely;    as:    He  fawned,  bullied, 
and  bribed  indefatigably. — Macaulay.) 

Feed  On,  Upon. 

Use    something    for    sustenance;     rest    for 
strength  or  comfort ;  as : 

*  *  The  robin  feeds  on  worms. ' ' 
To  feed  on  hope. — Spenser. 

Upon  the  earth's  increase  why  shouldst  thou 
feed? — Shakespeare, 

Fight  With,  Against,  For. 

With. — To  contend  with  in  person  for  mas- 
tery; as: 

To  fight  with  thee  no  man  of  arms  will  deign. 

— Milton. 
Against. — Contend;  as: 
You  do  fight  against  your  country's  foes. 

— Shakespeare. 

For. — Strive  vigorously ;  as: 

Let  him  fight  for  his  own. — Emerson. 

Fill  With. 

Occupy  the  wljole  capacity ;  pervade ;  as : 
*^The  glass  was  filled  with  water." 
The  earth  was  filled  with  violence. 

-  —Gen.  xi,  2. 
Followed  By. 

Move  behind  in  the  same  direction ;  come  after 
as  a  consequence ;  as : 

*^The  man  was  followed  by  his  dog." 
The  investigation  of  principles  is  quickly  fol- 
lowed by  practical  inventions. — Draper. 

Fond  Of. 

Feeling  affection  or  pleasure ;  having  a  strong 
liking ;  as : 

A  man  will  hardly  boast  that  he  is  very  fond 


64  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

of  eating ;  but  lie  has  no  hesitation  in  acknowl- 
edging that  he  is  very  fond  of  music. — Lechy, 

Fondness  For. 

Tender  liking ;  strong  appetite ;  as: 

My  heart  has  still  some  foolish  fondness  for 

thee. — Addison, 

*^He  had  a  fondness  for  truffles." 

Forbear  From. 

To  refrain  from;  as : 
*^ Forbear  from  evil." 

Foreign  To  (sometimes  From). 

Irrelevant ;  not  to  the  purpose ;  as : 

**The  sentiments  you  express  are  foreign  to 

your  heart. '  * 

**This  design  is  foreign  from  my  thoughts." 

Form  of,  From. 

Of, — Make  of  given  material ;  as : 
*'The  statue  is  formed  of  bronze." 
From, — Derive  or  produce  from  existing  ma- 
terials or  elements ;  as : 

^^A  verbal  is  a  word  that  is  formed  from  a 

verb." 

Foimd  On,  Upon. 
To  base  one's  opinion;  rely;  as: 
*^I  found  upon  the  evidence  of  my  senses." 
It  [theology]  founds  thus  necessarily  on  faith 

equally  with  religion. — Princeton  Rev, 

Founded  On,  Upon,  In. 
On,  Upon, — Established  on  a  basis ;  as : 
*^The  house  was  founded  on  or  upon  a  rock." 
In, — Used  abstractly ;  as : 
**The  law  was  founded  in  truth  and  equity." 

Free  From,  With,  Of. 
From, — Clear  or  exempt;  having  immunity; 

as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  65 

The  side  corridors  are  generally  free  from 
figure — sculpture. — Ferguson, 

^'She  is  seldom  free  from  pain.''    . 

With, — Open-handed;  as: 

^^He  was  free  with  his  money." 

Of, — Having  a  right  to  the  freedom  of;  as : 

He  therefore  makes  all  birds,  of  every  sect, 

Free  of  his  farm. — Dryden, 

Free,  From,  Of. 

To  rid ;  clear ;  as : 

Our  land  is  from  the  rage  of  tigers  frqed. 

— Dryden, 

*^We  are  now  freed  of  those  inconveniences." 

Friend  Of,  To,  With. 

Of,  To,-r-To  favor  or  promote  a  cause;  as: 
Statesman,  yet  friend  to  Truth!   of  soul  sin- 
cere.— Pope. 

He  was  no  friend  of  idle  ceremonies. 

— Prescott. 

With, — Reciprocal  friendship ;  as : 
I  shall  never  be  friends  again  with  roses. 

— Swinburne, 

Friendly  To,  With. 

To, — Favoring ;  as : 

*^He  is  friendly  to  our  project." 

With, — Implying  friendship ;  as : 

* '  The  King  was  friendly  with  his  barons. ' ' 

Frightened  At,  By. 

One  is  frightened  by  a  cause  of  fear  addressed 
directly  and  suddenly  to  the  senses ;  as : 
*  ^  She  was  frightened  at  her  own  shadow. ' ' 
**She  was  frightened  by  a  dog." 


v/ 


66  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

Frown  On,  Upon,  At. 

On,  Upon. — To  look  or  act  disapprovingly; 
lower ;  as : 

The  sky  doth  frown  and  lower  upon  our  army. 

— Shakespeare, 

A  small  castle  frowns  on  the  hill. — Freeman. 

At, — Scowl ;  as : 

^^She  frowned  at  me,  but  said  nothing/' 
Frugal  Of. 

Economical ;  avoiding  waste ;  as : 

No  man  .  .  .  more  frugal  of  .  ,  .  his  time 
and  revenue. — Milton, 

Fruitful  In,  Of. 

In. — Producing  abundant  results ;  as : 

^*Be  ye,  therefore,  fruitful  in  good  works.'' 

Of. — Result  in ;  as : 

''Such  a  doctrine  can  be  fruitful  only  of 
crime." 

Full  Of. 

Filled  by  or  engrossed  with  something ;  as : 
''Life  is  full  of  perplexities." 
' '  She  is  full  of  her  own  conceits. ' ' 

Furnish  With. 

To  provide;  supply;  as: 

He  is  furnished  with  my  opinion. 

— Shakespeare, 

Gasp  For,  After. 

To  strain  or  long  for ;  as : 

The  Castilian,  seeing  how  they  .  .^  .  gasped 
after  liberty,  demanded  a  most  exorbitant  price 
for  their  ransom. — Spectator, 

' '  He  gasped  for  breath. ' ' 

Give  To,  Into,  Unto. 

To  devote;  addict;  to  hand  over  to  another 
as  a  price ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  67 

'*He  was  much  given  to  idleness/' 
**The  letter  was  given  into  our  keeping, '* 
I  will  give  him  unto  the  Lord  all  the  days  of 

his  life. — 1  Sam,,  i,  11, 

The  value  .  .  .  must  be  given  to  the  foreign 

country  in  exchange  for  it. — Mill. 

Glad  Of,  At. 

Pleased ;  satisfied ;  as : 

^*I  shall  be  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  see 
you.'' 

*^He  was  glad  at  the  report  of  your  success.'' 

Glance  At,  Over,  Upon. 

At, — To  make  an  incidental  or  passing  reflec- 
tion ;  as : 

He  glanced  at  a  certain  reverend  doctor. 

— Sivift. 

Over, — Give  a  quick  passing  look ;  as : 

His  flashing  eye  glanced  over  a  body  of  war- 
riors.— Cooper, 

Upon, — A  sudden  look ;  as : 

I  perceived  that  they  cast  hostile  glances 
upon  each  other. — Addison, 

Gloat  Over,  Upon. 

Exhibit  evil  pleasure ;  as : 
**He  gloated  over  his  helpless  victim." 
Your  snarling  critic  gloats  upon  defects. 

—W,  W,  Story, 

Glow  With. 

To  exhibit  a  strong,  bright  color;   shine  viv- 
idly ;  be  animated  with  strong  emotion ;  as : 
Clad  in  a  gown  that  glows  with  Tyrian  rays. 

— Dry  den. 
And  gloiv  with  shame  of  your  proceedings. 

— Shakespeare. 
And  with  a  general's  love  of  conquest  glows, 

— Addison. 


68  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

Good  For,  At,  To. 

For. — Qualified ;  fit ;  as : 

All  quality  that  is  good  for  anything  is 
founded  originally  in  merit. — Collier. 

At. — Dexterous ;  as : 

You  were  ever  good  at  sudden  commenda- 
tions.— Shakespeare. 

To. — Kind,  friendly;  as: 

*VThe  men  were  very  good  to  us.'' 

Graduate  At,  In,  Into,  To. 
At,  In. — To  confer  a  degree  upon  at  the  close 

of  a  course  of  study ;  as : 

*^He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  the  class 

of  1850.'' 
Into. — To  change  by  degrees ;  as : 
*^The  dawn  graduated  into  day." 
To. — Modify  by  degrees ;  temper ;  as : 
The  Alhambra  possesses  retreats  graduated 

to  the  heat  of  the  weather. — Irving. 

Graft  On,  Upon,  In,  Into. 

To  insert  into  a  tree  or  plant;  insert  into  or 
incorporate  with  something  else ;  fix  upon  some- 
thing as  a  basis ;  bring  about  a  close  union ;  as : 

Plants,  to  succeed  when  grafted  upon  each 
other,  must  be  in  some  way  related. 

— A.  A.  Crozier. 

And  graft  my  love  immortal  on  thy  fame. — 
Pope. 

No  art-teaching  could  be  of  use  to  you  .  .  . 
unless  it  was  grafted  on  something  deeper  than 
art. — Ruskin. 

Seeing  .  .  .  these  persons  are  .  .  .  grafted 
inio  the  body  of  Christ's  Church. 

— Book  of  Common  Prayer. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  ^9 

Graft  in  our  hearts  the  love  of  thy  Name. 

—Ibid. 

Grapple  With,  To. 

With, — Contend  with  in  close  contest ;  attack 
boldly;   as: 

Don  Alonso  .  .  .  grappled  closely  with  his 
adversary. — Prescott. 

An  intellect  strong  enough  to  grapple  with 
any  subject. — Whipple. 

To. — Make  fast ;  as : 
The  friends  thou  hast,  and  their  adoption  tried, 
Grapple  them  to  thy  soul  with  hoops  of  steel. 

— Shakespeare. 

Grasp  At. 

Try  to  seize ;  as : 

** Alexander  grasped  at  universal  empire." 
Grate  On,  Upon. 

To  rub  or  scratch  roughly;  produce  mental 
irritation ;  as : 

^*The  saw  grates  on  steel." 

^^His  talk  grated  upon  all  present." 
Grateful  For,  To. 

To,  For. — Having  a  due  sense  of  benefits  re- 
ceived ;  as : 

*^He  was  grateful  to  his  father  for  sending 
him  to  college. ' ' 

To. — Pleasing  to  the  senses ;  as : 

**The  view  is  grateful  to  the  eye." 
Greedy  Of. 

Having  an  eager  desire  for ;  as : 

Like  as  a  lion  that  is  greedy  of  his  prey. 

— Ps.  xvii,  12. 
Grieve  At,  For,  About,  Over. 

At. — To  be  in  pain  of  mind  because  of  an 
evil ;  as : 
Do  not  you  grieve  at  this. — Shakespeare, 


70  THE  COEKECT  PREPOSITION: 

For. — To  feel  grief;  mourn;  as: 
*^She  grieves  for  her  child,  and  will  not  be 
comforted.'' 
Over,  About, — To  sorrow;  as: 
Grieving   .   .   .   over  the  unreturning  brave* 

— Byron. 

**I  am  grieved  about  your  going." 

Ground  In,  On,  Upon. 

In. — Instruct  thoroughly ;  fix  firmly ;  as : 
Let  no  youth  leave  the  school  without  being 
thoroughly  grounded  in  the  history  of  Ameri- 
can liberty. — Depew. 

Whatever  is  valuable  in  religion  must  be 
grounded  in  conviction. — J.  T.  Peck. 

On,  Upon. — To  run  aground;    settle  firmly, 

as  on  reason ;  as : 

*  *  The  ship  grounded  on  the  bar. ' ' 

Grounded  upon  no  other  argument.  .    .    . 

— Shakespeare. 
Guilty  Of. 

Having  incurred  guilt ;  as : 
Nor  he,  nor  you,  were  guilty  of  the  strife. 

— Dry  den. 
Hanker  After,  For. 

To  have  an  uneasy  craving;  a  vehement  de- 
sire ;  as : 

^^He  hankers  after  notoriety." 

Our  sailors  have  been  living  on  fresh  meat 
till  they  hanker  for  the  salt. — W.  Colton. 

Hang  With,  On,  By,  Upon. 

With. — To  decorate  by  anything  suspended; 
as: 

The  rooms  [at  Venice]  are  generally  hung 
with  gilt  leather.  .  .  . — Addison. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  71 

On,  By. — Be  dependent  upon ;  as : 

' ' His  life  hangs  on  the  judge 's  decision. ' ' 

*  ^  The  sword  hangs  by  a  hair. ' ' 

On,  Upon. — Cling  fondly  to ;  oppress ;  as : 
^  ^  She  hung  upon  his  neck.  *  * 
Yesterday  ^s  hunting  hangs  still  upon  me. 

— 7.  Walton. 
Happen  To,  On,  Upon. 

To. — Take  place ;  as : 

'^ Death  happens  to  all  men  alike." 

On,  Upon. — Meet  with;  light  upon;  as: 

*  ^  I  have  happened  on  some  other  accounts. ' ' 
Harass  By,  With. 

By. — Annoy  by  repeated  attacks ;  as : 

They  had  before  been  miserably  harassed  by 

the  inroads  of  the  Philistines. — Stillingfleet. 
With. — Distress  by  perplexity ;  as : 
Vext  with  lawyers  and  harassed  ivith  debts. 

— Tennyson. 

Hatred  Of,  To. 

Intense  dislike;    enmity;    of  one  person  to 
another  person  or  thing ;  as : 

It  was  the  hatred  of  Catherine  de  Medici  to 
Coligny  that  led  to  the  massacre  of  St.  Barthol- 
omew.— G.  P.  Fisher. 
Heal  Of. 

To  make  whole  or  sound ;  as : 

I  will  heal  thee  of  thy  wounds. — Jer.  xxx,  17. 
Hinder  From,  By,  In. 

Keep  from  or  delay ;  as : 

^  ^  Bad  weather  will  not  hinder  us  from  going. ' ' 

**The  ship  was  hindered  in  its  progress  by 
adverse  winds." 
Hinges  On,  Upon. 

Figuratively,    that    on   which    anything   de- 
pends ;  as : 


72  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

**The  story  hinges  on  (or  upon)  the  death  of 
the  prince." 

Hiss  At. 

To  express  contempt  or  disapprobation ;   as : 
The  merchants  among  the  people  shall  hiss  at 

thee. — Ezek.  xxvii,  36, 

Hit  On,  Upon. 

To  come  upon,  as  by  chance ;  as : 

None  of  them  hit  upon  the  art. — Addison, 

I  can  never  hit  on  his  name. — Shakespeare, 
Hold  From,  Of,  Under,  On,  For,  To,  With. 

From,  Of,  Under, — To  have  possession  or  de- 
rive title ;  as : 

The  Thanes  who  held  of  Godwin  and  Harold. 

— Lingard. 

His  imagination  holds  immediately  from  na- 
ture.— Hazlitt. 

''The  property  is  held  under  a  lease." 
On, — To  continue  or  proceed  in ;  as : 
In    spite    of    opposition,    he    held    on   his 


a 


For, — Keep  back ;  detain ;  as : 

''The  letter  is  held  for  postage." 

To, — To  adhere ;  to  cleave ;  as : 

He  will  hold  to  the  one  and  despise  the  other. 

— Matt,  vi,  24, 
With, — Take  part  with ;   as : 
I  hold  well  with  Plato.  .  .  . — Sir  T,  Moore, 

Hunger  For,  Of,  After. 
For,  Of, — Any  strong  or  eager  desire ;  as : 
For  hunger  of  my  gold  I  die. — Dryden, 

Excellence  is  lost  sight  of  in  the  hunger  for 
sudden  performance  and  praise. — Emerson, 

After, — Long  for ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  73 

Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness. — Matt,  v,  6. 

Identical  With. 

Of  like  nature ;  as : 

^^This  proposition  is  identical  with  the 
other. ' ' 

Ignorant  Of. 

Uninstructed  or  uninformed ;  as : 
Fools,   alike   ignorant   of  man   and   God. — 
Browning. 

Ill  Of,  With. 

In  a  disordered  state  physically. 
Century  says,  * '  111  of  a  fever. ' ' 
Standard  says,  ^^111  with  fever.'' — (See  sich,) 
Illustrated  With  or  By,  By. 

With,  By. — To  elucidate  or  adorn  by  means 
of  pictures,  drawings,  etc. ;  as : 

^'The  article  was  illustrated  with  or  by  maps 
showing  the  position  of  the  army.'' 

By. — To  make  drawings  intended  to  adorn 
books,  etc. ;   as : 

'*The  book  was  illustrated  by  Gibson." 

Imaged  In. 

Eeflect  the  likeness  of ;  as : 
'  ^  The  mountains  were  imaged  in  the  peaceful 
lake." 

Imbue  With. 

I 

Thoroughly  pervade ;  as: 
A  thoughtful  mind,  imbued  with  elegant  liter- 
ature.— Sumner. 

Immerse  In. 

To  plunge  into  anything,  especially  a  fluid; 
to  engage  deeply ;  as : 


74  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

He  .  .  .  immersed  in  the  flood,  found  .  .  . 
death. — Cowper. 
^^He  was  immersed  in  study. '* 
^  Impatient  Of,  With,  For,  At,  Under. 

Of. — Intolerant;  as: 

Dryden  was  poor  and  impatient  of  poverty. 

— Macaulay. 

With,  For,  At,  Under. — Uneasy,  fretful,  rest- 
less ;  as : 

**You  are  too  impatient  with  me." 
*^The  audience  was  impatient  for  the  curtain 
to  rise." 
*  *  They  grew  impatient  at  the  long  delay. ' ' 
^^The  horse  became  impatient  under  the  con- 
stant chafing  of  his  harness." 
Impenetrable  To,  By. 
»  To. — Incapable  of  being  penetrated ;  as : 

Highest  woods  impenetrable. 
To  star  or  sunlight.^ — Milton. 

By. — Unimpressihle ;  as: 

They  will  be  .  .  .  impenetrable  by  a  sermon 

of  the  gospel. — Jer.  Taylor. 

Impervious  To. 
Not  to  be  entered  or  passed  through ;   as : 
** Glass  is  impervious  to  water/' 
Leafy  lanes    .    .    .   impervious  to  shower  or 

sunbeam. — Barham. 

Implant  In. 

Form  a  vital  union ;  as : 
Nature  has  implanted  fear  in  all  living  crea- 
tures.— Bacon. 

Impose  On,  Upon. 
On. — To  lay  as  a  burden ;  to  inflict ;  as : 
Each  man   .    .    .   would  impose  his  ideas  on 

others. — Emerson. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  75 

Upon, — Act  with  delusive  effect ;  as : 

Do  we  hope  to  impose  upon  God,  ...  by  a 

mere  form  of  godliness,  without  the  power  of 

it? — Bp,  Atterbury. 

{/         Impress  On,  Upon,  With,  By. 

On,  Upon. — Make  an  impression  upon;    im- 
print ;  stamp  deeply  on  the  mind ;  as : 
He  did  impress 
On  the  green  moss  his  tremulous  step. 

— Shelley, 

There  is  impressed  upon  all  things  a  triple 
desire  or  appetite  proceeding  from  love  to  them- 
selves— Bacon, 

With. — That  which  is  impressed ;  as : 
His  heart,  like  an  agate,  with  your  print  im- 
pressed.— Shakespeare, 

By, — Produce  a  mental  effect  upon ;  as : 
**I  was  favorably  impressed  by  the  stranger's 
appearance. ' ' 

Imprint  In,  On  or  Upon. 

In, — To  impress  permanently  on  the  heart  or 
mind ;  as : 

The  inclination  to  goodness  is  imprinted 
deeply  in  the  nature  of  man. — Bacon, 

On  or  Upon, — To  impress    by    printing    or 
stamping,  to  impress,  as  on  the  mind ;  as : 
*  *  The  design  is  first  imprinted  on  wax. ' ' 
Nature  imprints  upon  whate'er  we  see. 
That  has  a  heart  and  life  in  it,  * '  Be  free. ' ' 

— Cowper. 
Improve  On,  Upon. 

To  bring  nearer  to  perfection;  a's: 
'*A  new  patent  generally  improves  on  the 
old  one." 


76  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

The  son  has  regularly  improved  upon  the 
yiees  of  the  father. — Junius. 

Impute  To. 

To  charge ;  attribute ;  as : 
One  vice  of  a  darker  shade  was  imputed  to 
him — envy. — Macaulay, 

Inaccessible  To. 

Not  to  be  reached  or  approached ;  as : 
She  built  her  nest  on  a  high  rock  inaccessible 
to  man. 

Incapable  Of. 

Lacking  sufficient  capacity;  unqualified;  not 
susceptible;  as: 

* '  That  bottle  is  incapable  of  holding  the  quan- 
tity required. ' ' 

*^He  is  incapable  of  understanding  the  sub- 
ject." 

^^His  lot  is  incapable  of  amelioration." 

Also  often  used  elliptically ;  as: 

Is  not  your  father  grown  incapable  of  (man- 
aging) reasonable  affairs? — Shakespeare, 
Incapacitate  From,  For,  By. 

To  disqualify ;  to  render  unfit ;  as : 

^'In  old  Scottish  law  a  butcher  was  incapaci- 
tated by  his  profession  from  sitting  on  a  jury." 

Concentrated  attention,  unbroken  by  rest,  so 
prostrates  the  brain  as  to  incapacitate  it  for 
thinking. — H.  Spencer. 

Imcensed  With,  Against. 

To  inflame  with  anger ;  as : 
**I  am  incensed  with  him  for  neglecting  this 
important  matter. ' ' 

The  people  are  incensed  against  him. 

— Shakespeare. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  77 

Incentive  To. 

Inciting;  encouraging;  as: 
Every  great  life  is  an  incentive  to  all  other 
lives. — Curtis, 

Incident  To. 

Likely  to  befall;  naturally  appertaining;  as: 
All  chance  incident  to  man's  frail  life. 

— Milton. 
The  studies  incident  to  his  profession. 

— Milward, 
Inclination  For,  To,  Toward,  Of. 

A  mental  bent  or  tendency ;  as : 

'^He  has  an  inclination  for  (or  toivard)  the 
stage. ' ' 

A  mere  inclination  to  a  thing  is  not  properly 
a  willing  of  that  thing. — South. 

How  dost  thou  find  the  inclination  of  the  peo- 
ple ? — Shakespeare. 

Include  In. 

Contain;  comprise;  as: 
**  A  pearl  is  included  in  a  shell." 
*'He  was  included  in  the  invitation  to  the 
family. ' ' 

Incoherence  Of. 

Looseness ;  separateness  of  parts ;  as : 
The  smallness  and  incoherence  of  the  parts 
do  make  them  easy  to  be  put  in  motion. — Boyle, 

Incompatible  With. 

Incapable  of  harmonizing  or  agreeing  with; 
as: 

The  critical  faculty  is  not  of  itself  incompati- 
He  with  imaginative  and  creative  power. 

— Stedman, 


78  THE  COEKECT  PREPOSITION: 

Incongruous  With. 

Out  of  place  or  character ;  as : 

*  *  The  illustrations  were  incongruous  with  the 
theme. ' ' 
Inconsiderate  Of. 

Inattentive;  negligent;  as: 

He cannot  be inconsiderate  of  our 

frailties.— Deca^  of  Christian  Piety. 

Inconsistent  With. 

Discordant;  at  variance;  as: 

Wisdom  and  virtue  are  far  from  being  incon- 
sistent with  politeness  and  good  humor. 

— Addison. 
Inconvenience,  n.    Of. 

Want  of  convenience ;  inexpediency ;  as : 

They  plead  against  the  inconvenience  of 

ceremonies  in  burial. — Hooker. 
Inconvenience,  v.    By. 

To  put  to  inconvenience;  as: 

The missionaries were    inconven^ 

ienced  hy  finding  that  the  only  native  word  they 
could  use  foi  orod  also  meant  devil. — Hale. 

Incorporate  In,  Into,  With. 

In,  Into. — To  unite  intimately;  to  assimilate; 
as: 

The  Eomans  did  not  subdue  a  country 

but  to  incorporate  them  into  their  own  com- 
munity.— Addison. 

The  Haus-Town,  being  a  Body-politic  incor- 
porated in  the  Empire,  complained  hereof  to 
the  Emperor. — Howell. 

With. — To  unite  with  another  body  so  as  to 
make  part  of  it ;  as : 

Painters'  colors  and  ashes  do  better  incor- 
porate with  oil. — Paeon, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  79 

Incrust  With. 

Overlay;  as: 

^^It  proved  to  be  an  ancient  coin  incrusted 
with  rust.'' 

Inculcate  On,  Upon. 

To  impress  by  frequent  admonition^;  to  urge 
on  the  mind ;  as : 

'*  Christ  inculcates  on  his  followers  humility.'' 
The  most  obvious  and  necessary  duties  of 
life  they  have  not  yet  had  authority  enough  to 
enforce  and  inculcate  upon  men's  minds. 

— S.  Clarke. 

Incumbent  On,  Upon. 

Obligatory;  as: 

All  men,  truly  zealous,  will  perform  those 
good  works  that  are  incumbent  on  all  Chris- 
tians.— Sprat, 

It appeared  a  duty  incumbent  upon  me 

to  attempt  to  reclaim  them. — Goldsmith, 
Incursion  Into. 

An  inroad  or  invasion ;  as : 
^  The  Moorish  cavaliers,  whose  greatest  de- 
light was  a  tala,  or  predatory  incursion  into 
the  Christian  territories. — Irving, 
Indemnify  Against,  For. 

Against, — To  secure  against  damage ;  as : 

''The  merchants  were  indemnified  against 
any  damage  to  their  stock." 

For, — To  make  good  to ;  as : 

Its  enterprising  navy  indemnified  the  nation 

for  the  scantiness  of  its  territory  at  home. 

— Prescott, 
Independent  Of. 

Separate  or  disconnected;  not  relying  upon; 

as: 

*'The  soul  may  exist  independent  of  matter." 


80  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

The  town  of  St.  Gaul  is  a  Protestant  republic 
independent  of  the  abbot. — Addison. 

Indicative  Of. 

Giving  intimation  or  knowledge  of  something ; 
as: 
** Politeness  is  indicative  of  good  breeding.*' 

Indifferent  To. 

Unconcerned;  as: 

**He  was  indifferent  to  the  welfare  of  his 
family." 

Indispensable  To. 

Absolutely  requisite  or  necessary ;  as : 

Inequality  of  condition  is indispensable 

to  progress. — Calhoun. 

Indulge  In,  With. 

In. — To  yield  to  the  gratification  of  a  desire 
without  restraint ;  to  give  oneself  up  to ;  as : 
'*He  indulged  himself  in  idleness." 
With. — To  yield  to  a  desire ;  as : 
'^He  indulged  himself  with  a  new  book." 

Indulgent  To,  Of. 

Indisposed  to  be  severe ;  lenient ;  as : 
' '  She  was  indulgent  to  her  servants. ' ' 
The  feeble  old,  indulgent  of  their  ease. 

— Dry  den. 
Inequality  In,  Of. 

Want  of  equality  in  things  of  the  same  kind ; 
as: 

Though  human  souls  are  said  to  be  equal,  yet 
there  is  no  small  inequality  in  their  operations. 

— Sir  T.  Browne. 

Inequality  of  condition  is indispensable 

to  progress. — Calhoun, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  31 

Infect  With. 

To  commtLQicate  to  or  affect  with ;  as : 
Goethe  was  not  infected  with  the  common- 
place selfishness  and  frivolity  of  Court  life. 

— Hutton. 

Infer  Prom. 

Accept  from  evidence  or  premises ;  as : 

*^I  inferred  from  his  silence  that  he  would 
offer  no  objections. ' ' 
Inferior  To. 

Less  important  or  valuable ;  as : 

Whether  they  are  equal  or  inferior  to  my 
other  poems,  an  author  is  the  most  improper 
judge. — Dryden. 
Infest  With. 

To  trouble  greatly  by  numbers  or  by  fre- 
quency of  presence ;  as : 

The  house  is  infested  with  rats. 

^^The  Black  Sea  was  at  that  time  infested 
with  pirates." 

Inflame  With,  By. 

W^i^' — To  stimulate  or  rouse  to  unnatural 
action ;  to  light  up ;  as : 

Fierce  Phlegethon 

Whose  waves  of  torrent    fire    inflame   with 
rage. — Milton. 

^^The  trees  were  inflamed  with  autumn 
colors." 

By. — That  which  causes  something  to  be  in- 
flamed; as: 

' '  The  skin  is  inflamed  by  an  eruption. ' ' 
Inflict  On. 

Lay  on  as  something  that  must  be  borne ;  as : 

So  ended  the  year  1744,  during  which  a  fear- 
ful sum  of  human  misery  had  been  inflicted  on 
the  world. — Lechy. 


82  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

Influence  (Verb)  To,  By.    (Noun)  On,  Of,  Over,  With. 

To,  By, — To  affect  or  sway ;  as : 

**He  was  influenced  to  leave  the  country  hy  a 
friend  who  lived  in  the  city. 

On,  Of,  Over,  With, — Controlling  power 
quietly  exerted ;  as : 

Foreknowledge  had  no  influence  on  their 
fdixxlt— Milton, 

It  was  not  without  the  influence  of  a  Divinity 

that refused  to  be  called  Lord. 

— Jer.  Taylor, 

'*  Astrologers  claim  that  stars  have  an  influ- 
ence over  affairs.'' 
Have  you  any  influence  with  him? 

Inform  Against,  On,  Of. 

Against,  On, — To  give  intelligence  or  infor- 
mation; to  tell;  as: 

Ay,  my  good  lord,  'twas  he  informed  against 
him. — Shakespeare, 

' '  If  you  absent  yourself,  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
inform  on  you." 

Of. — To  communicate  knowledge  to ;  as : 

**I  was  informed  of  the  affair." 

Infringe  On,  Upon. 

To  encroach;  trespass;  as: 
The  sides  of  the  front  are  dilated,  infringing 
on  the  eyes. — Horn, 

**By  so  doing  you  infringe  upon  my  rights." 

Infuse  Into,  With,  In. 

Into, — Instil;  as: 

It  is  tropically  observed  by  honest  old  Socra- 
tes that  heaven  infuses  into  some  men  at  their 
birth  a  portion  of  intellectual  gold. — Irving, 

With, — To  affect  or  modify ;  inspire ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  83 

Drink  infused  with  flesh  will  nourish  faster 
and  easier  than  drink  and  meat  together. 

— Bacon. 

Infuse  his  breast  ivith  magnanimity. 

— Shakespeare, 

In, — To  steep ;  as : 

One  ounce  of  dried  leaves  is  infused  in  ten 
ounces  of  water. — Coxe. 
Ingraft,  Engraft  In,  Into,  On,  Upon. 

To  set  or  implant  deeply;  to  insert  or  graft 
for  propagation ;  as : 

Faith  ingrafts  us  into  Christ. — Jer.  Taylor, 

This  fellow  would  ingraft  a  foreign  name 
upon  our  stock. — Dryden, 

We  have  a  natural  thirst  after  knowledge  in- 
grafted in  us. — Hooker, 

The  dialogue  was  ingrafted  on  the  chorus, 

and  naturally  partook  of  its  character. 

— Macaulay. 
Inherent  In. 

Existing  as  an  element,  quality,  or  attribute ; 
as: 

There  was  inherent  in  them  [the  bishops]  a 
power  of  cognition  of  causes  and  coercion  of 
persons. — Jer.  Taylor. 

Initiate  Into. 

To  introduce  by  preliminary  instruction  or 
forms;  as: 

The  bookseller initiated  Leonard  into 

many  of  the  mysteries  of  the  bibliographer. 

— Bulwer. 

Inquire  Of,  For,  Sometimes  After,  About,  Concerning,  Into, 
At. 

O/.—The  person  or  subject  questioned;  as: 
'*I  inquired  of  all  that  were  present." 


84  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

For  (sometimes  after), — A  person  or  thing 
that  is  sought;  as: 

^^Did  you  inquire  for  or  after  the  package 
that  was  lost  r' 

Inquire  in  the  house  of  Judas  for  one  called 
Saul  or  Tarsus. — Acts  ix,  ii. 

About  or  Concerning. — The  subject  of  in- 
quiry; as: 

**Your  friend  inquired  about  or  concerning 
your  welfare.'' 

Into. — Detailed  examination ;  as : 

And  inquire 
Gladly  into  the  ways  of  God  with  man. 

—Milton. 

At. — Place  where  information  is  sought;  as: 
'^ Inquire  at  the  postoffice  for  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  me. ' ' 

Inroad  In,  Into,  Of. 

Incursion;  forcible  or  insiduous  encroach- 
ment ;  as : 

The    Hungarians made    inroads    into 

Italy. — John  Adams. 

Make  cruel  inroads  in  my  brain. — Cowper. 
Of. — Trespass;  as: 

The  freakish  inroads  of  the  sea  on  the  North 
Carolina  coast outdo  fancy. — Lathrop. 

Inscrilie  To,  With,  On. 

To. — Address  in  a  formal  dedication ;  as : 
The  volume  was  inscribed  to  Eosetti. 

' — Stedman. 
With. — Mark  with  characters ;  as : 
At  the  entrance  of  the  cemetery  there  were 

fifteen  wooden  posts,  each  inscribed  with  the 

name  of  a  god. — Bird. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  85 

On.— To  imprint;  to  impress  deeply  on  the 
memory;  as: 
Inscribe  a  verse  on  this  relenting  stone. 

— Pope, 

Insensible  To,  Of. 

To. — Not  susceptible  of  emotion  or  passion; 
as: 

Nothing  disturbs  the  tranquility  of  their 
souls,  equally  insensible  to  disasters  and  to 
prosperity. — Irving. 

Of. — Unconcerned ;  indifferent ;  as : 

*^He  lives  in  retirement,  insensible  of  what  is 
going  on  in  the  world.  ^' 
Inseparable  From. 

Not  separable ;  as : 

The  history  of  every  language  is  inseparable 

from  that  of  the  people  by  whom  it  is  spoken. 

— Mure. 
Insert  In,  Into. 

To  put  in ;  as : 

*^He  had  an  advertisement  inserted  in  all  the 
daily  papers.*' 

*^One  piece  of  wood  was  inserted  into  the 
other. ' ' 

Insight  Into. 

Mental  vision ;  a  deep  inspection  or  view ;  as : 
Could  ever  a  man  of  prodigious  mathematical 

genius  convey  to  others  any  insight  into  his 

methods  ? — Emerson. 

He  had  an  insight  into  almost  all  the  secrets 
of  state. — Jortin. 

Insist  On,  Upon. 

Persist  in  demanding;  urge;  dwell;  demand; 
as: 

^  *  I  insist  upon  your  coming. ' ' 


86  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

If  a  farmer  can  make  poetry  at  the  plough- 
tail,  it  must  be  because  his  nature  insists  on  it. 

— Hawthorne. 
Inspection  Of,  Over. 

Of. — Critical  examination ;  as : 

An  inspection  of  the  books  revealed  many 
false  entries. 

Over. — Overseeing;  as: 

By  exercising  a  close  inspection  over  the 
work,  he  detected  all  errors. 

Instinct  With. 

Infused  or  filled  with  some  active  principle; 
as: 

The  clo,se  buds 

That  lay  along  the  bough,  instinct  with  life, 

— Bryant. 
Intent  On,  Upon. 

Having  the  mind  bent  or  earnestly  fixed  upon 
something,  fixed  with  strained  or  earnest  atten- 
tion; as: 

But  this  whole  hour  your  eyes  have  been  in- 
tent on  that  veiled  picture. — Tennyson. 

'*His  thoughts  are  intent  upon  his  duty.'' 
Intercede  With,  For. 

With, — To  make  intercession ;  as : 

She promised    to    intercede    earnestly 

mth  the  King. — Baker. 

For. — Plead  for;  as: 

Dion,  his  brother,  interceded  for  him,  and  his 
life  was  saved. — Smiles, 

Intercourse  With,  Of,  Between. 

With. — Frequent  association;  interchange  of 
ideas ;  spiritual  or  mental  communion ;  as : 

His  intercourse  ivith  heaven  and  earth  be- 
comes part  of  his  daily  food. — Emerson. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  87 

Between, — Communication  between  persons 
or  places ;  as : 

^^Intercourse  between  the  town  and  the  coun- 
try is  facilitated  by  the  trolley  lines." 

An  intercourse  gradually  took  place  between 
them  and  the  newcomers. — Irving. 

Of. — Eeciprocal  exchange ;  as : 
This  sweet  intercourse 
Of  looks  and  smiles. — Milton. 
Interfere  With,  In,  Between. 

To  take  part  in  the  affairs  of  others;  espe- 
cially to  prevent  some  action;  to  interpose; 
clash ;  as : 

To  interfere  with  party  disputes. — Swift. 

So  far  as  the  government  interferes  in  pri- 
vate concerns — Isaac  L.  Rice. 

Nature  is  ever  interfering  with  art. — Emer- 
son. 

**He  interfered  between  the  combatants  and 
ended  the  fray." 
Intermeddle  Synonym  of  Interfere. 

The  practice  of  Spain  hath  been to  m- 

termeddle  with  foreign  states. — Bacon. 
Intermediate,  Between. 

Situated  between  two  extremes ;  as : 

These  plants  are  beautifully  intermediate  be- 
tween the  oxlip  and  the  primrose. — Darwin. 
Interrupt  By. 

Break  the  course  of  continuity  of ;  as : 

**The  smoothness  of  the  road  was  not  inter- 
rupted by  a  single  rut." 
Intersperse  Among,  With,  In. 

Among. — Distribute  scatteringly ;  as: 

^^The  shrubs  were  interspersed  among  the 
trees." 


88  THE  COKRECT  PEEPOSITION: 

With, — Diversify  by  scattering  objects  upon; 
as: 

Which  space  is  interspersed  with  small  islands 
and  rocks. — Cook. 

In. — To  insert  at  intervals ;  as : 
There,    interspersed    in    lawns    and    opening 

glades, 
Thin  trees  arise  that  shun  each  other's  shades. 

— Pope. 
Intervene  Between. 

To  come  between ;  as : 

Six  hundred  yards  intervened  between  them. 
— Harrison. 
Interweave  With. 

Weave  together  into  a  single  fabric ;  blend  in- 
timately ;  as : 

An  old-fashioned  ball  dress  made  of  lace  in- 
terwoven with  silver  threads. — Harper's  Maga- 
zine. 

He intervenes  truth  with  probable  fic- 
tion.— Dryden. 
Intimate  With. 

On  very  familiar  terms ;  as : 

And  my  understanding  had  been  for  too 
many  years  intimate  with  severe  thinkers. 

— Be  Quincey. 
Intolerant  Of. 

Unable  or  indisposed  to  tolerate,  or  endure; 
as: 

The  powers  of  human  bodies  being  limited 
and  intolerant  of  excesses. — Arbuthnot. 

Jesus was  intolerant  of  sin. — Storr. 

Intoxicate  With,  By. 

With.— Elate ;  as : 

Intoxicated  with  the  sound  of  those  very 
bells.— (^.  Eliot. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  39 

By. — That  which  elates ;  as : 
They  were  not  intoxicated  by  military  suc- 
cess.— Jowett, 

Introduce  In,  Into,  With,  To. 
In. — Bring  to  notice  in  some  place ;  as : 
**A  resolution  was  introduced  in  congress." 
Into. — Usher  in ;  insert ;  as : 
*^She  was  introduced  into  society." 
^^The   doctor   introduced   a  probe   into   the 
wound. ' ' 

With. — To  present;  as: 

**He  introduced  the  subject  with  a  long  pref- 
ace." 

To. — To  cause  to  become  acquainted;  as: 
' '  I  was  introduced  to  an  elderly  gentleman. ' ' 

Intrude  Into,  On,  Upon. 

Into. — To  come  in  without  leave ;  as : 
**He  intruded  himself  into  the  conference." 
On,  Upon. — Enter  without  necessity  or  war- 
rant ;  as : 

Our  phantasy  would  intrude  a  thousand  fears 
upon  us. — Burton. 

''She  desires  to  be  alone;  do  not  intrude  on 
her  privacy. ' ' 
Intrust,  Entrust  To,  With. 

To. — Commit  in  trust;  confide;  as: 

I intrust  my  neck  to  the  fidelity  of  my 

own  feet,  rather  than  to  those  of  my  horse. 

— Cotton. 

With. — To  invest,  as  with  a  trust;  as: 

In  a  republic,  every  citizen  is intrusted 

with  the  public  safety — Story. 

Inundate  With. 

Overspread ;  fill  inordinately ;  as : 

''The  country  was  inundated   with   bills   of 
credit." 


90  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

The  whole  system  is  inundated  with  the  tides 
of  joy. — Emerson. 

Inure  To. 
Habituate,  accustom ;  as : 
Inured  to  hardship  from  his  early  youth. 

— Dryden, 

Intrans, — To  take  or  have  effect ;  as : 
**The  land  will  inure  to  the  tenant.'' 

Invest  With  (some  times  In)  In. 

To  clothe  or  endue ;  as : 

Beatrice was  invested  by  his  imagina- 
tion with  glorious  and  mysterious  attributes. 

— Macaulay, 

Invest  me  in  my  motley. — Shakespeare, 

In. — To  make  an  investment ;  as : 
* '  He  invested  in  lands. ' ' 

Involve  In. 

Entangle;  envelop;  as: 

Involved  in  other  men's  affairs,  he  went  down 
in  their  ruin. — Beecher. 

The  further  history  of  this  neglected  planta- 
tion is  involved  in  gloomy  uncertainty. 

— Bancroft. 
Irrespective  Of. 

Eegardless ;  not  taking  into  account ;  as : 
Irrespective  of  the  form  of  government,  fre- 
quent   wars    germinate    permanent    military 
forces. — H.  Spencer. 
Irritate  By. 

Aijnoy ;  excite  ill  temper ;  make  petulant ;  as : 
^^He  was  irritated  by  the  children's  prattle." 

Issue  From,  Of,  In. 

From. — Proceed  as  from  a  source;  pass  or 
flow  out ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  91 

'^ Water  issues  from  a  spring." 
From  it  issued  forced  drops  of  blood. 

— Shakespeare, 

In, — Eesult ;  terminate ;  as : 
Her  efforts  to  bring  tears  into  her  eyes  is- 
sued in  an  odd  contraction  of  the  face. 

—G.  Eliot. 

Of  (noun). — The  whole  quantity  sent  forth  at 
one  time ;  the  act  of  sending  out ;  as : 

The  whole  issue  of  the  paper  was  distributed 
in  three  hours. 

History  cannot  name  a  man  who  has  gained 
enduring  honor  by  causing  the  issue  of  paper 
money. — Bancroft. 

Jealous  For,  Of. 

For. — Full  of  zeal ;  solicitous ;  as : 
**I  have  been  very  zealous  for  the  Lord  God 
of  hosts. ' ' — I  Ki.  xrx,  10. 

Of. — Suspicious  or  resentful  of  successful 
rivalry;  as: 

'*If  the  spirit  of  jealously  come  upon  him, 
and  he  be  jealous  of  his  wife. ' ' — Num.  v,  14. 

Jeer  At. 

Scoff  at,  as : 

*  *  The  crowd  jeered  at  the  speaker. ' ' 

Join  To,  With,  In. 

To,  With. — To  unite,  as  one  thing  to  or  with 
another ;  as : 

*  ^  The  house  is  joined  to  the  church. ' ' 

** Pluto  with  Cato  thou  for  this  shalt  join." 

— Pope. 

(To  usually  applies  to  things,  with,  to  per- 
sons.) 


92  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

In, — Be  associated  with  in  a  common  cause; 
as: 

^'All  those  present  joined  in  singing  a  hynm.'' 

Judge  Of. 

Estimate  the  value  of;  form  an  opinion  of; 
as: 

They  are  employed  to  judge  of  commodities. 

— H.  Spencer. 

She  is  wise  if  I  can  judge  of  her. 

— Shakespeare. 

Juxtaposition  to  With. 

Contiguity;  placed  side  by  side;  as: 
Putting  the  case  of  English  style  into  close 

juxtaposition  with  the  style  of  the  French  and 

Germans. — De  Quincey. 

Knowledge  Of. 

Acquaintance  with  any  fact  or  person ;  as : 
^^She  has  very  little  knowledge  of  history.'^ 
*^I  have  no  knoivledge  of  the  man.'' 

KUl,  With,  By,  For. 

Deprive  of  life ;  as : 

Ah,  kill  me  with  thy  weapon,  not  with  words. 

— Shakespeare. 

**He  was  killed  by  a  robber  for  his  money." 

Kind  To,  Unto,  (N.)  Of. 

To,  Unto. — Considerate;  benignant;  as: 

The  elements  be  kind  to  thee. — Shakespeare. 

He  is  kind  unto  the  unthankful   and   to   the 
evil. — Luke,  vi._,  35. 

Of  (noun). — Class;  sort;  as: 
^'What  kind  of  man  is  he?" 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  93 

Knack  At. 

Habitual  facility  of  performance ;  as : 
No  person  ever  had  a  better  knack  at  hoping 
than  I. — Goldsmith, 

Knock  At,  On. 

To  strike  a  blow  as  on  a  door  or  gate ;  as : 

When  death  knocked  at  any  door  in  the  ham- 
let, there  was  an  echo  from  every  fireside. 

— Lowell, 

^^ There  is  a  knock  at  the  door/' 

^^He  knocked  on  the  door.*' 

Know  Of,  Al30ut,  Under,  By. 

Ofy  About. — Possess  knowledge  of;  as: 
Sir  John  must  not  know  of  it. — Shakespeare, 
''1  knew  about  his  coming.'' 
Under,  By. — To  designate ;  as : 
**He  is  known  under  or  by  the  name  of  Col- 
lins." 

Labor  Under. 

To  be  burdened ;  as : 

The  vulgar  labor  under  a  high  degree  of  su- 
perstition.— Bacon, 

Land  At,  In. 

At, — To  arrive ;  as : 

Landing  at  Syracuse,  we  tarried  there  three 
days. — Acts  xxiii,  12. 

In. — Come  to  a  stop ;  as : 

**The  wagon  landed  in  a  ditch." 

Lapse  Into,  To  (Verb),  Of,  To  (Noun). 

Into. — To  fall;  pass  by  degrees;  as: 

A  tendency  to  lapse  into  the  barbarity  of  those 

northern  nations  from  whom  we  are  descended. 

— Swift. 
To. — Become  ineffectual  or  void ;  as : 
If  the  Archbishop  shall  not  fill  it  up  within 

six  months  it  lapses  to  the  king. — Ayliffe, 


94  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

To,  Of, — A  gliding  or  gradual  failing;  as: 
The  lapse  to  indolence  is  soft  and  impercep- 
tible.— Rambler, 

Bacon  was  content  to  wait  the  lapse  of  long 
centuries  for  his  expected  revenue   of  fame. 

— Taylor. 

Latitude  In,  Of. 

Laxity ;  range  or  scope ;  as : 

A  considerable  latitude  must  be  allowed  in 
the  discussion  of  public  affairs. — Junius, 

Hester  Prynne had  habituated  herself 

to  such  latitude  of  speculation  as  was  alto- 
gether foreign  to  the  clergymen. — Hawthorne, 

Laugh  At. 

To  scoff  playfully ;  deride ;  as : 

Strauss  laughs  at  Paulus,  Baur  at  Strauss, 
Renan  at  Baur,  and  the  hour-glass  at  all. 

— Joseph  Cook, 
Lean  On,  Upon,  Over,,  Against,  To,  Toward. 

On,  Upon. — To  depend,  as  for  support  or 
comfort;  as: 

Everything  good  in  man  leans  on  what  is 
higher. — Emerson, 

See,  how  she  leans  her  cheek  upon  her  hand. 

— Shakespeare. 

Over,  Against,  To,  Toward, — To  deviate  from 
a  straight  line ;  as : 
The  old  trees  o'er  it  lean, — Whittier, 

'  *  The  tower  leans  to  or  toward  the  north. ' ' 

*'He  leaned  against  the  wall. 

To,  Toward, — Incline,  as  in  opinion ;  tend,  as 
in  conduct ;  as : 

'*He  leans  toward  fatalism." 

They  delight  rather  to  lean  to  their  old  cus- 
toms.— Spencer, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  95 

Learned  (P.  A.)  In. 

Well  acquainted ;  skilful ;  as : 
Not  learned,  save  in  gracious  household  ways. 

— Tennyson, 

Level  (A.)  With,  Sometimes  To.  (V.)  With,  To,  At,  (N.)  Of. 

With,  To, — Even  with  anything  else;  on  the 
same  plane ;  of  equal  importance ;  as : 

The  water  was  now  level  with  the  terrace. 

— Mrs.  Oliphant. 

Young  boys  and  girls  are  level  now  with  men. 

— Shakespeare. 

Every  thing  lies  level  to  our  wish. 

— Shakespeare. 

With. — To  lower;  overthrow;  as: 
And  their  proud  structures    level   with   the 
ground. — Sandys, 

To, — Adjust ;  as : 

To  which  he  levels  all  his  purposes. — Spenser, 
At, — To  aim;  as: 

The  foeman  may  with  as  great  aim  level  at 
the  edge  of  a  penknife. — Shakespeare. 

Of. — A  surface  approximately  horizontal ;  fig- 
uratively, a  degree  of  moral,  social,  or  intel- 
lectual rank ;  as : 

**This  place  is  eighteen  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea." 

He  felt  that  the  teacher  ought  to  be 

constantly  above  the  level  of  his  scholars. 

— Stanley, 
Liable  To,  For. 

To. — Exposed,  as  to  danger,  penalty;  con- 
tingently subject;  as: 
Proudly  secure  yet  liable  to  fall. — Milton, 


96  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

For, — Bound  or  obliged  in  law  or  equity ;  as : 
**Tlie  surety  is  liahle  for  the  debt  of  his  prin- 
cipal." 

Liberal,  With,  Of,  To,  In. 

With,  Of.-— The  thing  bestowed ;  as : 

Infinitely  good,  and  of  his  good 

As  liberal  and  free  as  infinite. — Milton, 

**He  was  liberal  ivith  his  money." 
To. — The  recipient ;  as : 

Nature    had   been liberal    of   personal 

beauty  to  her. — Goldsmith. 

In. — (Before  a  word  expressing  action.) 
**Free  from  narrowness  in  ideas  he  was  liberal 
in  giving  to  the  poor." 

^^He  was  liberal  in  his  interpretation  of  my 
art." 
light  On,  Upom. 

Descend;  drop;  to  happen  or  stumble  as  by 
chance;  as: 
Why  must  all  your  suspicions  light  upon  me? 

—Gay. 
''He  lit  on  his  feet." 
On  the  tree-tops  a  crested  peacock  lit. 

— Tennyson. 

'*  Sometimes     we     light     upon     unpleasant 
truths." 

Liken  To. 

Compare  as  like ;  as : 

The  preaching  of  the  Gospel  may  be  likened 
to  the  scattering  of  sparks. — French. 

Link  With. 

To  be  or  become  connected ;  as : 
No  one  generation  could  link  with  the  other. 

— Burke. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  97 

Listen  To,  For. 

To. — What  we  actually  hear;  as: 
^^He  listened  to  the  sound  of  revelry  within." 
For. — What  we  expect  or  desire  to  hear;  as: 
**He  listened  in  vain  for  the  sound  of  her 

footstep. ' ' 

Live,  At,  In,  On,  Upon,  With,  Among,  By. 

At,  In,  On. — Reside;  as: 
' '  He  lies  at  Yonkers. ' '    {At  is  used  of  a  small 
place;  in,  of  a  large  place.) 

'*He  lives  in  New  York."  , 

^*She  lives  on  a  plantation  in  Cuba." 
On,  Upon,  By. — To  subsist;  procure  a  main- 
tenance; as: 

And  humbly  live  on  rabbits  and  on  roots. 

— Pope. 

I  speak  the  truth  as  I  live  hy  bread. 

— Tennyson. 

Those  who  live  hy  labor. — Sir  W.  Temple. 

In. — To  outlast  danger ;  to  continue  in  opera- 
tion as  an  active  thing ;  as : 

^^No  ship  could  live  in  such  a  storm." 

^^The  dead  live  in  memory." 

By. — In  Scripture,  to  have  spiritual  life ;  as : 

The  just  shall  live  by  faith. — Gal.  iii,  11. 

Among,  With. — Abide;  as: 

**He  lived  among  (or  with)  the  savages  for 
twenty  years." 

Load  With. 

To  lay  a  load  or  burden  on ;  to  impose  some- 
thing upon,  either  good  or  bad ;  as : 

Am  I  loaded  with  care  she  takes  off  a  good 
share. — Franklin. 

Essex  loaded  Bacon  with  benefits. — Macaulay. 


98  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

Lodge  With,  In. 

With — To  have  an  abode ;  as : 

He  lodgeth  with  one  Simon  a  tanner. 

— Acts  X,  6. 
In, — To  be  deposited  or  fixed ;  as : 
**A  seed  lodged  in  a  crevice  of  a  rock.'' 

Long  Tor  or  After. 

To  have  a  craving  or  wistful  desire ;  as : 
Oft  when  the  wine  in  his  glass  was  red, 
He  longed  for  the  wayside  well  instead. 

— Whittier. 
I  have  longed  after  thy  precepts. — Psalms. 

Look  Upon,  Toward,  After,  At,  On  or  Upon,   To,  Unto,  For, 
Into,  In. 

Upon,  Toward. — To  afford  a  view  or  ontlook : 

**The  windows  look  totvard  the  ocean." 

**The  house  loohs  upon  a  narrow  street." 

After, — To  attend  to ;  as : 

**He  loohs  after  my  luggage." 

At. — To  direct  the  understanding;  as: 

I  often  wished  I  could  see  how  he  looked  at 

things. — Drummond. 
On  or  Upon. — To  esteem ;  as : 
**I  look  on  (or  upon)  him  as  a  friend." 
To,  Unto. — To  give  heed  to;  to  depend  upon 

for  something ;  as : 
Look  to  the  woman. — Jonson. 
'*He  looks  to  me  for  payment." 
Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved. — Isa.  xiv.  22. 
For. — Search  for  something;  as: 

**Did  you  Zoo^ /or  my  knife?" 

Into. — To  inspect  closely ;  as : 

He  has  thoroughly  looked  into  and  examined 

human  nature. — Bacon. 

In. — To  take  a  look  or  glance  into  a  place ;  as : 
*'He  looked  in  the  window  as  he  passed." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  99 

Lord  Over. 

(Sometimes  with  it  indefinite.) 

And  lorded  over  them  whom  now  they  serve. 

-—'Milton. 
Who  yet  would  lord  it  o'er  the  rest. — Dry  den. 

Love  Of,  For,  To. 

Eegard  with  a  strong  feeling  of  affection; 
hold  dear ;  as : 

Smit  with  the  love  of  sacred  song. — Milton. 

^*His  love  for  his  country  inspired  his  brave 
deed.'' 

''Love  to  God  and  man." 

Make  Of,  Out  Of,  From,  With,  By,  For,  To,  For,  Against. 

Of,  Out  of,  From. — The  material  from  which 
something  is  made ;  as : 

If  my  breast  had  not  been  made  of  faith  and 
my  heart  of  steel. — Shakespeare. 

Fairy  tales  are  made  out  of  the  dreams  of 
the  poor. — Lowell. 

**The  relic  was  made  from  a  piece  of  the 
Cross." 

With. — The  means  used;  as: 

**The  image  was  made  with  a  jack-knife." 

Into. — Convert  or  transform ;  as : 

Sometimes  it  (the  peacock)  was  made  into 
pie. — Irving. 

By. — The  operative  agency. 
For. — The  purpose;  as: 
Arrows  of  stone  were  made  by  the  savages  for 
use  in  warfare. 
For,  To. — The  design  or  intent  in  making ;  as : 
The  sabbath  was  made  for  man. — Mark  II.  27, 
Man  was  made  to  mourn. — Burns, 


100  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

Of. — To  think ;  judge ;  as : 
I  was  only  wondering  what  our  people  would 
make  of  her. — Harper^s  Magazine. 

For. — To  have  effect ;  contribute ;  as : 
There  is  an  eternal  power  thai  makes  for 
righteousness. — Cook. 

Against. — Oppose;  as: 

^'This  argument  onakes  against  his  cause.'' 

Marriage  Of,  Between,  To,  With,  Among. 

Of,  Between. — Figuratively,  any  close  union ; 
as: 

Beauty  is  the  happiest  marriage  between  the 
invisible  and  the  visible. — Calvert. 

Let  me  not  to  the  marriage  of  true  minds 
Admit  impediments. — Shakespeare, 

Martyr  To  or  For,  To. 
To,  For. — One  who  dies  or  suffers  for  a  cause ; 

as: 
^  ^  He  died  a  martyr  to  his  devotion  to  science. ' ' 
^'He  died  a  willing  martyr  for  our  sins." 
To. — One  who  suffers  long  from  any  cause; 

as: 

**She  is  a  martyr  to  rheumatism.'' 

Master  Of,  In. 

One  skilled  in  an  art  or  trade ;  as : 
Great  masters  of  ridicule. — Macaulay. 

^^He  was  a  master  m  art." 

Measure  By,  With. 

With. — To  bring  into  comparison  or  competi- 
tion; opposed  or  set  against  as  equal  or  as  a 
test  of  equality ;  as : 

He  was  compelled  to  measure  his  genius  with 
that  of  the  greatest  captain  of  the  age. 

— Prescott. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  101 

By, — Appraise  by  comparison  with  something 
else;  as: 

Measuring  greatness  hy  adventitious  circmn- 
stances  of  greatness. — Goldsmith, 

Meddle  With,  In. 

Act  in  a  matter  with  which  one  has  no  busi- 
ness; concern  one's  self  with  or  about  some- 
thing; as: 

The   civil  lawyers have  meddled  in  a 

matter  that  belongs  not  to  them. — Locke. 

In  those  days  nobody  meddled  with  concerns 
above  his  comprehension. — Irving. 

Miss  Alethen did  not  meddle  with  him 

any  more. — Cooke. 

Mediate  Between. 

To  interpose  between  persons  to  effect  a 
reconciliation;  as: 

Bacon  attempted  to  mediate  between  his 
friend  and  the  Queen. — Macaulay. 

Meditate  On,  Upon. 

Fix  one's  thoughts  with  reference  to  a  re- 
sult ;  as : 

I  will  meditate  the  while  upon  some  horrid 
message  for  a  challenge. — Shakespeare. 

A  Buddhist only  meditates  on  the  per- 
fections of  the  Buddha. — Monier  Williams. 

Meet  With. 

To  light  upon ;  as : 

We  met  with  many  things  worthy  of  observa- 
tion.— Bacon. 
Menace  With. 

Threaten;  as: 

My  master did  menace  me  with  death. 

— Shakespeare. 


102  THE  COKEECT  PREPOSITION: 

Militate  Against,  WitlL 

(More  rarely  for  or  in  favor  of,) 
Against. — Have  weight  or  force,  as  in  deter- 
mining anything ;  as : 

Multiplicity  of  talents  has  too  often  militated 
against  the  due  fulfilment  of  some  special  bent. 

— W.  Sharp. 

**  These  facts  militate  for  or  in  favor  of  your 
theory/' 

With. — To  be  in  conflict ;  as : 

Against  everything  which  militated  with  the 

doctrines   or  ceremonies   of  his  church 

— Whipple. 
Mindful  Of. 

Keeping  in  mind ;  cognizant ;  as : 
I  promise  you  to  be  mindful  of  your  admoni- 
tions.— Hammond. 

And  Guinevere  not  mindful  of  his  face, 
In  the  King's  Hall,  desired  his  name. 

— Tennyson. 

Mingle  With. 

To  mix: 

They  gave  him  vinegar  to  drink  mingled  with 
gall. — Matt.  XVII.  34. 

Minister  To. 

Perform  service  of  any  kind ;  afford  supplies ; 
remedy. 

Canst  thou  not  minister  to  a  mind  diseased? 

— Shakespeare. 

Mix  With,  In. 

With. — To  unite  into  one  mass ;  as : 
*  ^  Oil  does  not  mix  ivith  water. ' ' 
In. — Take  part ;  associate ;  as : 
** He  mioses  m  politics.' 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  103 

Mock  At. 

To  ridicule  or  deride ;  as : 
*^The  adversaries  saw  her  and  did  mock  at 
her  sabbaths.'' — Lam,  i.  7. 

Model  In,  On,  After. 

In. — To  make  a  model ;  as : 
I  rough  out  my  thoughts  in  talk  as  an  artist 
models  in  clay. — Holmes. 

On. — To  form  or  plan  according  to  a  model ; 
as: 

The  camp  seemed  like  a  community  modeled 
on  the  principle  of  Plato's  republic. — Prescott. 

After. — To  form  after  a  pattern;  as: 
[Nothing]    justifies    even    a    suspicion   that 

vertebrae  are  modeled  after  an  ideal  pattern. 

— H.  Spencer. 

Mourn  For,  Over. 

Express  or  feel  grief  or  sorrow ;  as : 

^^He  moured  for  her  all  his  life." 
**He  mourned  over  his  loss." 

Mulct,  In,  Of. 

To  punish  by  fine  or  forfeiture ;  as : 
^*The  judge  mulcted  the  prisoner  in  $300." 
**He  was  mulcted  of  his  farm." 

Name  After,  From,  For. 
After. — Give  another  person's  name  to;  as: 
^^The  child  was  nayned  after  his  grandfather." 
From. — A  circumstance  which  gives  rise  to  a 

name ;  as : 

*^The  constellation  Ursa  Major  is  as  named 

from  its  resemblance  to  the  outline  of  a  bear." 
For. — Appointed;  as: 
Whom  lately  you  have  named  for  consul. 

— Shakespeare, 


104  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

For, — In  honor  of;  appointed;  as: 

^^The  child  was  named  for  his  grandfather." 

Necessary  To,  For. 
Indispensable ;  as : 

**Air  is  necessary  to  support  animal  life." 
A  country  replenished  with  all  manner  of 

commodities  necessary  for  man^s  life. — Gory  at. 

Necessity  Of,  To,  For. 

now  has  grown. 

The  vast  necessity  of  heart  and  life. 

— Tennyson. 

** Freedom  is  a  necessity  to  responsibility." 
**  There  is  no  necessity  for  your  being  pres- 
ent." 

Need  Of.  , 

Pressing  occasion  for  something;  as: 
And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun. 

— Rev.  xxi.  23, 

Neglectful  Of. 

Full  of  neglect ;  indifferent ;  as : 

Though  the  Eomans  had  no  great  genius  for 
trade,  yet  they  were  not  entirely  neglectful  of 
it. — ArhuthnoL 

'  (Or  absolutely;  as:    ^^He  was  very  neglect- 
ful.") 

Negligent  Of. 

Careless;  as: 

He  was  a  great  student  and  rather  negligent 
of  his  business. — Cable, 
Negotiate  With,  For,  Between. 

With,  For, — Bargain  or  trade ;  as : 
^*He  negotiated  with  the  dealer  for  five  ear- 
loads  of  coal." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  105 

Between. — Conduct  communications   or  con- 
ferences ;  as : 

He  that  negotiates  betiueen  God  and  man. 

^  — Cowper, 

Nicety  Of,  In. 

Delicacy;  exactness;  as: 

By  his  own  nicety  of  observation 

— Johnson. 

His  nicety  in  the  use  of  vowel-sounds. 

— Lowell. 

Noted  For. 

Conspicuous ;  distinguished ;  as : 

It  (Tyre)  is  not  at  present  noted  for  the  Ly- 
rian  purple. — Pococke. 

Notice  Of. 

The  act  of  observing ;  as : 

The  notice  of  this  fact  will  lead  us  to  some 
very  important  conclusions. — French. 

Obedient  To. 

Subject  in  will  or  act  to  authority ;  as : 
And  floating  straight,  obedient  to  the  stream. 

— Shakespeare. 

Object  To,  Against. 

To  adduce  as  an  objection  or  adverse  reason ; 
as: 

**Can  anyone  object  to  such  a  statements 
All  that  can  be  objected  against  this  wide  dis- 
tance.— Puttenham. 

Objection  To,  Against. 

To. — That  which  is,  or  may  be,  presented  in 
opposition ;  as : 

*^I  have  no  objection  to  going." 

Against. — Fault  found;  impediment  raised;, 
as: 

Objections  against  every  truth. — Tyndale. 


106  THE  COREECT  PREPOSITION: 

Obligatory  On  or  Upon. 

Imposing  obligation ;  as : 

If  this  patent  is  obligatory  on  them.— Swift. 

*^ Obedience  is    obligatory   on    (or  upon)    a 
soldier. ' ' 

Oblivious  Of. 

Forgetful;  lost  in  thought;  as: 

I  was  half-oblivious  of  my  mask. — Tennyson. 
Obnoxious  To. 

Liable  or  unanswerable ;  repugnant ;  as : 

A  man's  hand 


Is    more    obnoxious    to    the    common   peril. 

— B.  Jonson. 

"The  law  was  obnoxious  to  the  people. 

Observance  Of. 

Compliance,  as  with  a  custom,  law,  ceremony, 
etc.;  as: 

"The  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  general. '' 

Obtain  In,  With,  From,  Of. 

In. — To  be  common  or  customary ;  as : 

"The  custom  still  obtains  in  some  country 
districts. ' ' 

With. — To  succeed  in  accomplishing  an  end; 
as: 

"His  efforts  obtained  with  the  king.'' 

From,  Of. — To  get ;  secure ;  as : 
I  come  with  resolution 
To  obtain  a  suit  of  you. — Beau,  and  Fi. 

"The  book  can  be  obtained  from  the  library." 

Obtrude  On,  Upon. 

To  push  forward  into  undue  prominence ;  as : 
"The  vulgar  rich  obtrude  their  pretensions 
on  the  public." 
Intrans. — Intrude;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  107 

Let  us  not  obtrude  upon  her  sorrows'  holy 
solitude. — R.  H.  Dana,  Sr. 

Obvious  To. 

Easily  discovered;  evident;  as: 

they  lie 

Amidst  the  heap,  and  obvious  to  the  eye. 

— Pope. 
Occasion  For,  Of. 

For. — An  opportunity  permitting,  or  a  rea- 
son requiring  action;  as: 
** There  is  no  occasion  for  haste.'' 
Of, — Cause;  as: 
Her  beauty  was  the  occasion  of  the  war. 

— Dryden. 
Oflfend  By,  Against,  With,  At. 

By. — ^Vex ;  annoy ;  as : 
^'1  was  offended  by  the  request." 
Against. — To  break  or  transgress  laws;  to 
do  a  wrong  or  injury  to ;  as : 

We  have  offended  against  the  Lord  already. 

— 2  Chron.  xxviii:13. 

At,  With. — Displeased;  as: 

'*I  am  deeply  offended  at  or  with  you." 

Offensive  To. 

Displeasing,  annoying;  as: 

'^Your  actions  are  offensive  to  me." 

Offer  To,  Of,  For. 

To  tender  or  present  for  acceptance  or  rejec- 
tion; as: 

' '  There  are  some  of  the  ideas  which  reflection 
offers  to  the  mind." 

For,  Of  (noun). — A  proposal  made  and  sub- 
mitted; as: 

**His  offer  of  protection  was  declined." 

^*He  made  an  offer  for  the  building." 


108  THE  COEKECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Operate  On,  Upon,  Against,  In,  For. 

On,  Upon. — To  exert  power  or  force ;  as : 
The  body  operates  very  powerfully  upon  the 

soul,  both  for  good  and  evil. — Bonar, 

The  virtues  of  private  persons  operate  but  on 
a  few. — Atterhury. 

In. — To  carry  on  speculative  transactions; 
as: 

He  operates  in  oil. — Commercial  Cant. 

For, — In  surgery,  to  perform  an  operation — 
to  produce  some  remedial  result;  to  effect  any 
result;  as: 

**She  was  operated  on  for  cataract  of  the 
eye. ' ' 

^*The  work  operated  for  good." 

Opinion  On,  About,  Of. 

Fifty  .  .  .  men  .  .  .  are  likely  to  have  fifty 
opinions  on  the  merits  of  Elizabeth  or  Crom- 
well.— Froude. 

On. — Settled  judgment  in  regard  to  any  point 
of  knowledge  or  action ;  as : 

*^  There  can  be  but  one  opinion  about  the  ad- 
visability of  going  to  war." 

Of. — Estimation;  as: 

However,  I  have  no  opinion  of  those  things. 

— Bacon. 
Opportunity  For,  To. 

Fit,  convenient,  or  seasonable  time,  favorable 
chance ;  as : 

■'^I  found  an  opportunity  for  a  good  invest- 
ment. '  ^ 

*^I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  go." 

Oppose  To. 

To  be  adverse ;  as : 

**I  am  opposed  to  your  going." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  109 

Opposite  To,  Of. 

To, — Adverse;  opposed;  as: 
Thou  art  as  opposite  to  every  good   as   the 
Antipodes  are  unto  us. — Shakespeare. 

Of  (noun). — One  who,  or  that  which,  is  in 
marked  contrast ;  as : 

Clive  seems  to  have  been  .  .  .  the  very  op- 
posite of  a  knave. — Macaulay. 

In  such  constructions  as,  *^The  store  is  oppo- 
site to  the  postoffice/'  '^to"  is  superfluous. 

Opposition  To. 

The  action  of  opposing;  antagonism ;  as : 
The  satisfaction  of  the  bodily  man  need  not 

be  made  in  opposition  to  higher  interests. 

— Mind. 

Oppress  By,  With. 

By. — To  bear  upon  so  as  to  cause  a  sensation 
of  pressure;  wield  authority  over  in  a  tyran- 
nical manner ;  as : 

**My  lungs  are  oppressed  by  the  damp  air.'' 
The  champion  of  many  states  oppressed  by 
one  too  powerful  monarchy. — Macaulay. 

With. — Overburden;  weigh  down;  as: 
**My  mind  is  oppressed  with  doubt.'' 

Originate  In,  With,  From  (Archaic). 

To  have  origin  or  beginning;  as: 
In  the  germs  Verbascum,  hybrids  are  sup- 
posed to  have  often  originated  in  a  state  of  na- 
ture.— Darivin. 

*'The  scheme  originated  with  the  governor." 
'* Aristotle  originates  all  knowledge  from  per- 
ception. ' ' 


110  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Overwhelm  With,  By,  In. 

With,  In, — Cover  completely ;  submerge ;  also 
figuratively;  as: 

— Chaucer. 

He  amazes  us  by  bis  variety,  and  overwhelms 
us  with  bis  wealtb. — D.  H.  Wheeler. 

**Sbe  is  overwhelmed  in  sorrow." 

By. — Overcome ;  as : 

**I  am  overwhelmed  by  your  kindness.'' 

Parallel  to,  With,  Between,  With  (v.). 

To,  With. — Extended  in  tbe  same  direction, 
and  equi-distant ;  having  a  like  course ;  as : 
Revolutions   .   .   .  parallel  to  the  equinoctial. 

— Haklayt. 

**Tbe  trolley  line  runs  parallel  with  the  rail- 
road," or,  more  recent,  **  trolley  parallels  the 
railroad." 

With  (v.) — To  compare;  make  conformable 
to  something  else ;  equal  in  all  essential  parts ; 
as: 

I  thought  once  to  have  paralleled  him  with 
Alexander  the  Great. — B.  Jonson. 

By. — Equal;   as: 
^  His  life  is  paralleled  even  with  the  stroke  and 
line  of  his  great  justice. — Shakespeare. 

A  zeal  only  paralleled  by  his  former. 
Between, — A  comparison  made ;  as : 
*' Johnson's    parallel    between    Dryden    and 
Pope." 

Parley  With. 

To  speak  with  another ;  to  hold  a  conference ; 
as: 

Whoever  stands  to  parley  with  temptation, 
parleys  to  be  overcome. — Lillo. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  111 

Part  With,  From. 

With. — Give  up;  as: 

*  ^  The  miser  will  not  part  with  his  money. ' ' 

Fro w.— Take  leave  of ;  as : 

''He  parted  from  his  friends  with  regret.'* 

He  owned  that  he  had  parted  from  the  duke 
only  a  few  hours  before. — Macaulay. 

Part  with  is  to  relinquish  possession. 

Part  from  is  to  relinquish  companionship. 
Partake  Of,  In  (rarely  with). 

Of,  In,  With. — To  take  or  have  a  part  in  com- 
mon with  others ;  participate ;  share ;  as : 

Brutes  partake  in  this  faculty. — Locke. 

He  felt  that  wrong  with  wrong  partakes, 
That  nothing  stands  alone. — Whittier. 

I  partake  of  many  gifts  of  fortune  and  power 
that  I  was  never  bom  to. — Addison. 

Of. — To  have  something  of  the  nature,  char- 
acter, or  function ;  as : 

''He  partakes  equally  of  the  philosopher  and 
of  the  poet.'' 
Partaker  Of,  In. 

One  who  takes  or  has  a  part  or  share  in  com- 
mon with  others ;  as : 

...  to  become  ourselves  partakers  of  their 
suffering. — W.  Ollston. 

.Wish  me  partaker  in  thy  happiness, 
When  thou  dost  meet  good  hap. 

— Shakespeare. 
Partial  To. 

Greatly  or  unduly  inclined  to  favor  a  person 
or  thing;  as: 

I  pray  .  .  .  that  he  be  not  over  partial  to 
North- Wales  men. — Howell. 

I'm  partial  to  buff. — George  Eliot 


113  THE  COERECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Partiality  For,  To,  Of. 

For, — A  special  fondness ;  predilection ;  as : 

^^She  has  a  partiality  for  painting/' 

To, — Inclination  to  favor  one  party  or  one 

side  of  a  question  more  than  another ;  as : 
A  partiality  to  studies,  which  is  prejudicial 

...  to  improvement. — Locke, 
Of. — Bias ;  unfairness ;  as : 
The  partiality  of  our  parents,  who  make  the 

most  injurious  distinctions  between  us. 

— FranJclin, 

Participate  In. 

Partake ;  share ;  as : 

Either  in  joy  or  sorrow,  my  friend  should 
participate  in  my  feelings. — Goldsmith, 

Patient  Toward,  With,  Under,  Of. 

Toward,  With, — Forbearing ;  as : 

Be  patient  toward  all  men. — 1  Thess,  v,  14, 

*^Be  patient  with  me,  and  I  shall  soon  finish 

the  work." 

Under, — Quiet  endurance ;  as : 

** Faith  makes  us  patient  under  affliction,^ ^ 

Century  gives  patient  of,  capable  of  bearing ; 

susceptible;  as: 

.   .  .  it  is  at  least  patient  of  the  better  sense 

which  I  wish  to  put  upon  it. — E,  A,  Freeman, 

Pay  For,  With,  To. 

For, — Make  amends  for;    give  equal  value 
for;  as: 

^^Men  often  pay  for  their  mistakes  with  suf- 
fering.'' 

With, — Medium  of  exchange ;  as : 

He  attacked    .    .    .    the  practice  of  paying 
Hanoverian  troops  with  English  money. 

— Macaulay, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  113 

To. — The  person  paid ;  as : 
''Pay  to  the  bearer." 

Payment  Of,  For. 

0/. — The  discharge  of  a  debt  or  obligation; 
as: 

No  man  envieth  the  payment  of  a  debt. 

— Bacon. 

For. — Given  in  discharge  of  a  debt ;  as : 
Too  little  payment  for  so  great  a  debt. 

— Shakespeare. 
Peck  At. 

To  attack  repeatedly ;  carp  at ;  as : 
Mankind  lie  pecking  at  one  another. 

— Sir  R.  L' Estrange. 
Peculiar  To. 

Pertaining  to  one;    of  private,  personal,  or 
characteristic  possession  and  use ;  as : 

Adam   assigned  to  every  creature  a  name 
peculiar  to  its  nature. — Sir  T.  Browne. 
Pendant  or  Pendent  (latter  the  usual  form)  From. 

Hanging ;  suspended ;  as : 
''Pendent  from  the  ceiling  were  garlands  of 
roses." 

Penetrate  To,  Into,  With. 

To,  Into. — To  enter  by  piercing;  as: 
But  soon  the  light    .    .    .    penetrates  to  the 
deepest  valley. — Macaulay. 

With. — To  enter  and  become  part  of;    per- 
meate ;  as : 

That  little  cloud  in  ether  spread, 
And  penetrated  all  with  tender  light. 

— Wordsworth. 

The  schools  of  China  have  always  been  pene- 
trated with  the  religion  of  China. — H.  A.  Hodge. 


114  THE  COEEECT  PREPOSITION: 

Persevere  In. 

Persist  in  an  undertaking ;  as : 

To  persevere  in  any  evil  course  makes  you 
unhappy  in  this  life.  .  .  . — Apb.  Wake, 
Persist  Ib. 

Adhere  firmly  to  any  course ;  as : 

**He  persists  in  his  folly." 
Pertain  To,  Unto. 

Belong,  appertain,  as  a  possession  or  an  ad- 
junct, relate ;  have  reference  to ;  as : 

The  Crown 
And  all  wide- stretched  honours  that  pertain 

Unto  the  Crown  of  France. — Shakespeare. 

*  *  Flowers  pertain  to  plant  life. ' ' 

**That  pertains  to  another  matter." 
Pertinent  To,  Unto. 

Pertaining;    that  regards  or  has  reference; 
as: 

Anything  pertinent  unto  faith  and  religion. 

— Hooker. 

**That  is  not  pertinent  to  the  question." 
Pine  For. 

Long  for ;  as : 

For  whom,  and  not  for  Tybalt,  Juliet  pined. 

— Shakespeare. 
Pit  Against. 

Match  as  contestants  one  against  the  other; 
as: 

Socrates  is  pitted  against  the  famous  atheist 
from  Ionia. — Macaulay. 
Pitch  On,  upon. 

To  fix  or  decide ;  as : 

Pitch  upon  the  best  course  of  life,  and  custom 
will  render  it  the  most  easy. — Tillotson. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  115 

Pity  On,  Upon,  For. 

On  or  Upon. — A  feeling  which  inspires  one 
to  relieve  the  suffering  of  others ;  as : 

He  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  unto 
the  Lord.— Prov.  xix,  17, 

For, — Sympathetic  sorrow;  as: 

.  .  .  pity  for  a  horse  overdriven. — Tennyson, 
Play  On,  Upon,  With,  At. 

On,  Upon, — Perform  on  a  musical  instrument ; 
operate  with  repeated  action ;  trifle  with ;  as : 

.  .  .  three  Mahometans  playing  on  a  tam- 
bour.— Pococke, 

'*The  firemen  were  not  permitted  to  play  on 
the  flames.  V' 

^^The  firemen  played  upon  the  burning  build- 
ing. ^^ 

You  play  upon  the  weakness  of  my  disposi- 
tion.— Sheridan, 

With, — Join  in  sport  or  frolic;  act  thought- 
lessly ;  as : 

'*He  played  with  the  children. '^ 

Do  not  play  tvith  mine  anger. — Beau,  and  Fl, 

At, — To  contend  in  a  game  of  skill  or  chancfe ; 
specifically,  to  gamble ;  as : 

The  ladies  play  at  cards  .  .  . — Ford, 
Plead  With,  For,  Against. 

Urge  a  plea  for  or  against  a  claim ;  endeavor 
to  persuade  by  argument  or  supplication ;  as : 
0  that  one  might  plead  for  a,  man  tvith  God, 
as  a  man  pleadeth  for  his  neighbor. 

— J  oh  xvif  21. 

Is  it  not  time  to  plead  for  a  reform  in  the 
writing  of  biographies? — Phelps, 

I  will  plead  against  it  with  my  life. 

— Shakespeare, 


116  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

Pleased  At,  With. 

At, — Gratified  at  results ;  as : 
I  was  pleased  at  the  result  of  the  confer- 


(< 


With. — That  which  excites  pleasure ;  as : 
Pleased  with  his  daily  task. — Wordsworth, 

Plunge  In,  Into. 

To  cast  or  thrust  suddenly  into  some  penetra- 
ble substance ;  figuratively,  to  throw  into  some 
thing,  condition,  or  action ;  as : 

' '  The  hare  plunged  into  the  thicket. ' ' 
Yet  he  listened  plunged  in  thought. 

— M.  Arnold. 

...  we  shall  be  plunged  into  perpetual  er- 
rors.— Watts. 

Possess  Of,  With,  By. 

With. — To  imbue  or  impress ;  as : 

I  have  been  .  .  .  possessed  with  an  extreme 
wonder  at  those  your  virtues. — Bacon. 

Of  J  Withy  By. — To  have  complete  mastery 
over;  as: 

...  he  that  was  possessed  of  the  devils  was 
healed. — Luhe  viii,  36. 

One  of  those  fanatic  infidels  possessed  hy  the 
devil. — Irving. 

Unless  you  be  possessed  with  devilish  spirits. 

— Shakespeare. 

Of. — Cause  to  have  (used  reflexively  or  in  the 
passive) ;  as: 

**I  have  possessed  myself  of  his  estate.'' 
Possess  yourself  of  solid  reasons. — Webster. 

Pounce  On,  Upon. 

Seize  suddenly;  as: 

The  eagle  pounces  on  the  lamb. — Scott. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  117 

Eagles  ...  do  not  sail  down  from  the  clouds 
in  order  to  pounce  upon  small  flies. — Thackeray. 

Predispose  To. 

Cause  a  tendency  in  a  particular  direction; 
as: 

'^The  use  of  impure  water  predisposes  to 
cholera. ' ' 

Prefer  To  (sometimes  above,  rarely  before). 

To  give  precedence  in  the  mind,  affection,  or 
choice ;  as : 

I  am  to  prefer  the  good  of  my  health  before 
the  good  of  my  wealth. — Hale,  , 

If  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy^ 

— Ps.  cxxxvii,  6. 

''He  preferred  sl  novel  to  sl  play." 

Preferable  To. 

More  desirable ;  as : 

Almost  every  man  .  .  .  hath  a  scheme  .  .  . 
preferable  to  that  of  any  other  person. 

— Addison. 
Preference  Of,  Over,  For,  To,  Above. 

Ofy  Over,  Above. — Estimation  of  one  thing 
over  or  above  another ;  as : 

Preference  of  one  man's  knowledge  over  [or 
above]  another's. — Locke. 

For,  To. — Choice;  as: 
^^I  have  a  preference  for  lighter  plays.'' 
*^We  shall  go  to  the  country  in  preference  to 
the  seashore." 

Prefix  To. 

Attach  at  the  beginning ;  as : 
.  .  .  to  which  was  prefixed  an  elaborate  Dec- 
laration of  Eights. — Sumner. 


118  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Pregnant  With. 

Impregnated;  filled;  as: 

Such  the  bard's  prophetic  words, 
Pregnant  with  celestial  fire. — Cowper, 

Each  hour  is  pregnant  with  a  thousand  perils. 

— Byron. 
Prejudice  Against. 

Prepossess  with  opinions  formed  without  due 
knowledge  or  examination ;  bias ;  as : 

*'You  were  prejudiced  against  the  man  from 
the  beginning. ' ' 

Prejudicial  To. 

Detrimental;  as: 

His  going  away  was  most  prejudicial  to  the 
king's  affairs. — Clarendon. 
Prepare  For. 

Make  ready ;  as : 

Bid  them  prepare  for  dinner. — Shakespeare. 

Our  souls,  not  yet  prepared  for  upper  light. 

— Dry  den. 
Preserve  From. 

To  keep  safe  or  free  from  harm ;  as : 
*^She  preserved  the  child  from  danger.'' 
Present  To,  With. 

To. — Bestow ;  introduce  formally ;  as : 
*^We  presented  a  gold  watch  to  the  president. 

The  ambassador  was  presented  to  the  king." 
With. — That  which  is  bestowed ;  as : 
**He  was  presented  with  a  watch." 

Preside  At,  Over. 

Over. — To  exercise  superintendence  and  di- 
rection; as: 

*^A  governor  presides  over  sl  state." 
At. — To  be  set,  or  to   sit,  in  the  place  of 
authority;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  119 

*^Mr.  Blank  presided  at  the  meeting  of  the 
directors.'* 
Press  On,  Upon. 

Weigh  heavily  upon ;  plead  persistently ;  as : 

.   .   .   the  responsibility  which  presses  on  the 
heart  of  a  statesman. — E.  P,  Whipple, 

Be  sure  to  press  upon  him  every  motive. 

— Addison, 
Presume  On,  Upon. 

To  proceed  presumptuously  or  with  arro- 
gance ;  as : 

Do  not  presume  too  much  upon  my  love. 

— Shakespeare, 

**He  presumes  on  his  position." 
Pretend  To. 

To  lay  claim ;  as : 

I  do  not  pretend  to  more  generosity    .    .    . 
than  others. — Maria  Edgworth, 
Prevail  Over,  Against,  On,  Upon,  With. 

Over,  Against. — To  have  or  gain  advantage; 
to  be  superior  in  strength ;  as : 

The  disquiets  of  my  mind  prevailed  over  my 
weariness,  and  kept  me  awake. — Swift. 

**We  have  prevailed  over  our  enemies;  none 
can  prevail  against  us.  * ' 

On,  Upon,  With. — To  persuade  or  induce ;  as : 

**He  prevailed  on  me  to  go.'* 

If  arguments  prevail  not  with  such  a  one, 
force  is  well  used. — Milton. 

Prevail  upon  some  judicious  friend  to  be  your 
constant  hearer. — Sivift. 
Prevent  From, 

Impede ;  restrain ;  as : 

^^Extraordinary  precautions  were  taken  to 
prevent  the  matter  from  becoming  public." 


120  THE  COKKECT  PREPOSITION: 

Previous  To. 

Antecedent  to ;  as : 

And  something  previous  even  to  taste — 'tis 
sense. — Pope, 
Previously  To. 

Beforehand ;  in  time  preceding ;  as : 

^*I  saw  him  previously  to  my  going  abroad.'' 

.  .  .  but  had  been  on  intimate  terms  with  him 

previously  to  that  time. — 0.  W.  Holmes. 

Prey  On,  Upon. 

Take  booty;  make  a  victim  of  one  in  any 
sense ;  bring  injury  or  destruction ;  seize  and  de- 
vour an  animal  as  prey;  as:  A  succession  of 
ferocious  invaders  prey  on  the  defenseless 
wealth  of  Hindustan. — Macaulay, 

'Tis 
The  royal  disposition  of  that  beast  [the  lioness] 
To  prey  on  nothing  that  doth  seem  as  dead. 

— Shakespeare. 
Keep  his  mind  from  preying  on  itself. 

— M.  Arnold. 
,    it  preys  upon  his  life.    — Addison, 
Prior  To  [used  adverbially]. 

Previous;  as:  -         ^ 

.    prior  to  the  reconstruction  of  society 
under  the  Emperors,   skepticism  had  widely 
spread. — Fisher, 
Privy  To. 

Privately  knowing ;  as : 

*'He  was  privy  to  the  affair.'' 
Proceed  From.  ' 

To  issue  or  come ;  as : 

Excessive  laughter  proceeding  from  a  slight 
cause  is  folly. — Cervantes, 
Productive  Of. 

Producing ;  producing  abundant  crops ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  121 

Evil  times  are  not  always  productive  of  evil 
alone  and  unmixed. — Scott. 

Fruitful  vales  so  productive  of  that  grain. 

— Swift, 

Proficient  In. 

Skilled;  as: 

Proficient  in  all  craft  and  stealthiness. 

— Browning. 
Profit  (V.)  By. 

To  gain ;  to  advance ;  become  richer ;  as : 

I  profit  not  Ijy  thy  talk. — Shakespeare. 

The  Eomans    .     .     .    did  not  profit  much  by 
trade. — Arhuthnot. 
Profit  (n.)  Of,  On,  In,  From. 

Of. — Benefit;  return;  as: 

The  solitary  worker  loses  the  profit  of  ex- 
ample and  discussion. — H.  James,  Jr. 

The  profits  of  capital  are  the  reward  of  la- 
bor.— F.  Bowen. 

On,  From. — Pecuniary  gain;  as: 

^^He  made  a  large  profit  on  the  sale  of  his 
house." 

The  gross  profit  from  capital  .  .  .  must 
afford  a  sufficient  remuneration  for  the  labor 
and  skill  required  for  superintendence. 

—J.  S.  Mill. 

Profitable  To,  For. 

To. — Beneficial ;  as : 

What  was  so  profitable  to  the  empire  became 
fatal  to  the  emperor. — Arhuthnot. 

For. — Useful;  as: 

*^The   study   of  language   is   profitable   for 
mental  discipline." 
ProMbit  From. 

To  forbid  by  authority ;  as : 

'^Automobiles  are  prohibited  from  going 
through  this  village  at  a  rate  of  speed  exceeding 
eight  miles  an  hour." 


122  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Prolific  Of. 

Fruitful  of  results;  as: 

*'The  controversy  was  prolific  of  evil  conse- 
quences/' 
Prone  To. 

Disposed;  as: 

He  is     .     .     .     prone  to  mischief. 

— Shakespeare, 
Pronounce  Upon,  For,  Against. 

Upon. — To  express  an  opinion;  as: 

'*I  cannot  yet  pronounce  upon  the  merits  of 
the  book." 

For,  Against. — Declare  one's  self;  as: 

.  .  there  are  more  than  a  dozen  who 
have  .  .  .  pronounced  for  the  principle  of 
Home  Eule. — Contemporary  Review. 

*^The  President  has  pronounced  against  the 
plan. ' ' 
Proof  To,  Against. 

Able  to  resist;  impenetrable;  as: 

I     .     .     .     have  found  thee 
Proof  against  all  temptation. — Milton. 
If  James  had  not  been  proof  to  all  warnings. 

— Macaulay. 
Proper  To. 

Essentially  belonging  to  a  thing;  as : 
The  idea  of  God  is  as  proper  to  the  race  as 
that  of  self  is  to  the  individual. — Hedge. 
Proportion  To. 

To  adjust  in  a  suitable  proportion;  as: 
.    .    .    how  curious  it  would  be  if  our  happi- 
ness in  another  world  were  proportioned  to  the 
happiness  we  occasion  around  us  in  this. 

— Catherine  Sinclair. 
Protect  Prom,  Against. 

Shield   from    danger,    defend    against   that 
which  attacks;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  123 

.  .  .  and  him  within  protect  from  harm. 

— Milton, 
''He  wore  a  heavy  coat  to  protect  himself 
against  the  cold." 
Protest  Against.  ' 

Enter  a  formal  dissent ;  as : 

''He  protests  against  your  appointment." 
Provide  With,  For,  Against. 

With. — To  furnish;  supply;  as: 

Eome    .    .    .    was  well  provided  with  corn. 

— Arhuthnot. 

For,  Against. — To  take  precautionary  meas- 
ures; as: 

He  is  a  fool  that  provides  not  for  that  which 
will  most  certainly  come. — Hale. 

Providing    against    the    inclemency    of    the 
weather. — Hale. 
Purchase  Of  or  From. 

Buy;  as: 

The  field  which  Abraham  purchased  of  the 
sons  of  Heth. — Gen.  xxv.  10. 

"He  purchased  the  farm  from  the  owner." 
Purge  Of,  From. 

To  clear  from  accusation ;  to  clear  from  moral 
defilement ;  as : 

The  Judiciary  Committee  can  decide  whether 
or  not  they  should  be  purged  of  their  contempt. 
— New  York  Tribune, 

— New  York  Tribune. 

Archbishop  Arundel  had  to  purge  himself 
from  a  like  suspicion. — Stubbs, 
Pursuance  Of. 

A  following  after  or  following  out ;  as : 

George  was  to  depart  from  town,  ...  in 
pursuance  of  his  patron's  directions. 

— Goldsmith. 


124  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Pursuant  To. 

According  to ;  following ;  as : 

I  rise  Sir,  pursuant  to  notice,  to  ask  leave  to 
bring  in  a  bill. — D.  Webster. 

Put  On,  Upan,  To,  In,  Into. 

On,  Upon, — Inflict  upon;  impute  to;  as: 
You  do  not  fair  to  put  these  things  upon 

me. — B,  Jonson. 

*'You  must  put  the  blame  on  someone  else." 

To. — Add  to;  consign;  direct  one's  course; 
as: 

...  Nothing  can  be  put  to  it,  nor  any- 
thing taken  from  it. — Eccl.  iii.  14. 

Such      .     .     .    were  put  to  the  sword.    .    .    . 

— Clarendon. 

His  fury  thus  appeased,  he  puts  to  land. 

— Dry  den. 

In,  Into. — To  place,  or  cause  to  be  in  any  posi- 
tion or  situation;  as: 

^'Put  water  into  the  bottle." 
But  sit  beside  my  bed,  mother,  and  put  your 
hand  in  mine. — Tennyson. 

This  question  ask'd 
Puts  me  in  doubt.  — Milton. 

Quarrel  With,  About  or  Over. 

With. — Find  fault;  cavil;  dispute  angrily; 
fall  out ;  as : 

We  will  not  quarrel  with  ambition  when  it  is 
wise  enough  to  devote  itself  to  the  happiness  of 
mankind. — Channing. 

^*As  soon  as  he  returned  he  began  to  quarrel 
with  me. "  , 

About,  Over. — dispute  angrily  about  or  over 
some  matter ;  as : 
And  Jealousy,  and  Fear,  and  Wrath,  and  War 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  125 

QuarreVdy    although   in   heaven,    about    their 
place.  J.  Beaumont, 

*^They  quarreled  over  the  division  of  the 
estate. ' ' 

(Or  absolutely;  as:  *^The  president  and  the 
secretary  have  quarreled/') 

Quarter  On,  Upon,  In,  With. 

On,  Upon. — To  furnish  with  lodgings ;  as : 
'  *  The  troop  were  quartered  on  or  upon  the  in- 
habitants.'^ 
In,  With. — Stationed  or  lodged ;  as : 
He  quarters  in  the  last  room  in  the  gallery. 

— Cooper, 
Some  fortunate  captains 
That  quarter  with  him.    .    .     . 

— Fletcher. 
' '  The  troops  were  quartered  in  the  town. ' ' 

Back  With. 

Affect  with  great  pain  or  distress;  as: 
Vaunting  aloud  but  racked  with  deep  despair. 

— Milton. 

Bail  At,  Against. 

Blame  with  bitterness ;  scoff ;  as : 

It  is  better  to  fight  for  the  good,  than  to  rail 

at  the  ill. — Tennyson. 
**It  is  useless  to  rail  against  fate.'' 

Behel  Against. 

To  be  disobedient  to  authority ;  revolt ;  as : 
^^Then  he  turned  and  rebelled  against  him." 

How  could  your  heart  rebel  against  your 
reason! — Dry  den. 
Recede  From. 

To  move  back ;  turn  back  or  aside ;  as : 
The  world  receded   from  her   rising  view. 

— Crabbe. 


136  THE  COERECT  PREPOSITION: 

It  is  plain  that  the  more  you  recede  from 
your  grounds  the  weaker  do  you  conclude. 

—Bacon. 

Receive  From. 

To  obtain  as  a  result  of  delivery;  as: 
*  *  I  received  a  letter  from  my  sister. ' ' 

Reckon  On,  Upon,  With,  For. 

On,  Upon, — To  lay  stress  or  dependence ;  as : 
Don't  reckon  too  much  on  her  want  of  expe- 
rience.— Lever. 

My  Lord  Ambassador  Aston  reckons  upon 
you. — Howell. 

With, — To  settle  accounts ;  as : 
*^I  will  reckon  with  you  later." 
For. — Be  answerable  for ;  as : 
If  they  fail  in  their  bounden  duty,  they  shall 
reckon  for  it  one  day. — Bp.  Sanderson, 

Recline  On,  Upon. 

Place  in  a  recumbent  position ;  as : 
Reclined  her  dying  head  upon  his  breast. 

— Dry  den. 

On  silken  ^* cushions''  half  reclined. 

— Tennyson. 
Reconcile  To,  With  or  To. 

To. — Quiet   submission;   to   bring   again  to 
friendly  feelings ;  as : 
*^She  is  reconciled  to  her  lot." 
*^He  was  reconciled  to  his  brother." 

With  or  To. — To  make  consistent  or  congru- 
ous; bring  to  agreement;  rid  of  apparent  dis- 
crepancies; as: 

*^How  can  he  reconcile  his  statements  with 
his  conduct?" 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  127 

Some  figures  monstrous  and  misshaped  appear, 
Which     .     .     .    due  distance  reconciles  to  form 
and  grace.  — Pope. 

The  great  men  of  ancient  times  understood 
how  to  reconcile  manual  labor  with  affairs  of 
state. — Locke. 

This  reconciled  me  to  the  newspaper  ac- 
counts.— B.  Franklin. 

Recover  From. 

To  regain  a  former  state  after  misfortune  or 
sickness;  as: 
**She  has  recovered  from  her  recent  illness." 

Recreant  To. 

Unfaithful;  betraying  trust;  as: 

I     .     .     .     offered  up  a  vow    .     .     .     that  I 

would  in  no  manner  prove  recreant  to  her  dear 

memory. — Poe. 

Reduce  To,  By,  Under. 

To. — To  bring  to  any  specified  state  or  condi- 
tion ;  to  bring  into  a  class ;  as : 

**The  man  was  reduced  to  poverty.'' 
Goethe  had  no      .     .     .    beliefs  of  any  kind 
which  could  not  be  reduced  to  formulas.  ^ 

By. — That  which  reduces;  to  subdue  as  by    ^ 
force  of  arms;  as: 

**The  patient  was  much  reduced  hy  hem- 
orrhage. ' ' 

**  Spain,  Gaul,  and  Britain  were  reduced  hy 
the  Roman  arms." 

Refer  To. 
Allude ;  assign  as  to  origin ;  to  hand  over  for 


128  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

The  American  Declaration  of  Independence 
does  not  once  refer  to  the  British  Parliament. 

— Goodrich. 

Mahomet  referred  his  new  laws  to  the  angel 
Gabriel. — Burton. 

I  refer  it  to  your  own  judgment. — B.  Jonson. 
I  would  refer  the  reader  to  the  admirable  ex- 
position.    .     .     .    — Contemporary  Review. 

Reflect  On,  Upon. 

To  cast  reproach;  to  revert,  return;  to  con- 
template, ponder;  as: 

*'His  conduct  reflects  on  his  parents.'' 
Neither  do  I  reflect  in  the  least  upon  the  mem- 
ory of  his  late  majesty. — Swift. 

Whose  virtues  will,  I  hope. 
Reflect  on  Eome,  as  Titian's  rays  on  earth. 

— Shakespeare. 

**I  will  reflect  on  what  you  have  said." 
We  cannot  be  said  to  reflect  upon  any  exter- 
nal object  except      ...    its  image  has  be- 
come part    ...     of  our  intellectual  furni- 
ture.— Sir  W.  Hamilton. 

Refrain  From. 

Abstain;  keep  one's  self  from  action  or  inter- 
ference; as: 

**He  refrained  from  answering." 
**It  was  with  difficulty  that  he  refrained  from 
striking  the  man." 

Regard  For,  To. 

For. — Consideration;  esteem;  as: 
Hero-worship   is    strongest  where   there   is 

least  regard  for  human  freedom. — H.  Spencer. 
**I  have  a  sincere  regard  for  him." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  129 

To, — Eelation;  reference  (generally  preceded 
by  in  or  with) ;  as : 

^^He  spoke  feelingly  with  regard  to  your 
work. ' ' 

Eegret  For. 

A  wishing  that  something  had  not  happened ; 
sorrow;  as: 

Never  any  prince  expressed  a  more  lively 
regret  for  the  loss  of  a  servant. — Clarendon. 

Anguish  and  regret. 
For  loss  of  life  and  pleasure  overloved. 

—Milton. 
Rejoice  In,  At,  With. 

In, — Be  full  of  joy;  as: 

**I  rejoice  in  your  success.'' 

At, — Made  happy  by  something ;  as : 

^*We  rejoiced  at  his  coming.'' 

With.  —  Enter  into  ajnother's  feeling  of 
joy;  as: 

^^We  rejoice  with  you  in  your  mother's  re- 
covery. ' ' 

Relate  To.  * 

To  have  reference  or  respect ;  as : 
Pride  relates  more  to  our  opinion  of  our- 
selves.— Jane  Austin, 

Relative  To. 

Having  relation  to  or  bearing  on  some- 
thing; as: 

^^I  shall  be  pleased  to  answer  your  question 
relative  to  the  best  dictionary." 

Relatively  To. 

Comparatively ;  in  relation  to  something  else : 
*^His  expenditure  in  charity  was  large  rela- 
tively to  his  income." 


130  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

I  wrote  you  relatively  to  the  matter  several 
days  ago. 

Belease  From. 

To  free,  as  from  prison,  pain,  debt,  care, 
etc.;  as: 

Leisure,  silence,  and  a  mind  released 
From  anxious  thoughts  how  wealth  may  be  in- 
creased.— Cowper. 

The  people  begged  to  be  released  from  a  part 
of  their  rates. — Emerson. 

Relegate  To. 

Eemove ;  transfer ;  banish ;  as : 

We  have  not  relegated  religion  to  obscure 
municipalities. — Burke. 

Relegate  to  worlds  yet  distant  our  purpose. 

— M.  Arnold. 

Relieve  Of,  From,  Against,  With. 

Of. — To  take  from,  as  a  burden ;  as : 

He  .    .    .  relieved  her  of  her  prayer-book. — 

Mrs.  Gashell. 

From. — To  free  wholly  or  partly  from  some- 
thing painful  or  disasrreeable ;  as : 

**The  people  were  thus  relieved  from  oppres- 
sion.'* 

Against. — To  put  in  relief;  as: 

Her  tall  figure  relieved  against  the  blue 
sky  .    .    . — Sir  Walter  Scott. 

With. — To  introduce  a  contrast  or  variety 
into;  as: 

The  poet  must  .  .  .  sometimes  relieve  the 
subject  with  a  moral  reflection. — Addison. 

Relish  For,  Of. 
For. — A  taste  for;  fondness;  as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT 


131 


A  relish  for  whatever  was  excellent  in  art. 

— Macaulay. 
Of, — Savor;  characteristic  tinge;  as: 
It  preserves  some  relish  of  old  writing. — Pope, 

Eely  On,  Upon. 

Fix  one's  confidence;  trust;  depend;  as: 

It  is  a  like  error  to  rely  on  .    .    .  lawyers 

which  .  .  .  are  not  grounded  in  their  book. 

— Bacon, 

.  .  .  but  rely  only  upon  the  scriptures. 

— Milton. 
Bemain  In,  At. 

To  continue  in  a  place;  continue  without 
change;  as: 

He  should  have  remained  in  the  city  of  his 
refuge. — Num.  xxxv.  28. 

Great  and  active  minds  cannot  remain  at 
rest. — Macaulay. 
Bemark  On,  Upon. 

To  make  observations ;  comment ;  as : 

'*He  saw  it,  and  remarked  upon  it's  peculiar 
appearance. ' ' 
Eemedy  For. 

That  which  cures  a  disease,  or  corrects  an 
evil;  reparation;  as: 

**The  remedy  for  political  evils  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  voters." 
Bemit  To. 

Send  back ;  give  up ;  as : 

The  prisoner  was  remitted  to  the  guards. 

— Dry  den, 
Bomonstrate  With,  Against. 

Expostulate  with  a  person^  against  some  act 
or  proceeding ;  as : 

**We  remonstrated  with  him  in  yain." 


132  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION; 

'*  Conscience  remonstrates  against  a  profli- 
gate life.'' 
Bemove  From. 

To  change  place  in  any  manner ;  banish ;  dis- 
place from  office; 

^*He  removed  from  Edinburgh." 

Remove  sorrow  from  thy  heart.  Eccl.  xi.,  10. 

''He  removed  the  treasurer /rom  office. 
Repent  of  (Archaic). 

Experience  sorrow  with  a  desire  to  amend ;  as : 

'*He  repented  him  of  his  faults.'' 
Repine  At,  Against. 

To  be  fretfully  discontented,  murmur ;  as : 

''Do  not  repine  at   (or  against)  your  lot  in 
life,  but  rather  seek  to  improve  it. ' ' 
Replete  With. 

Filled  up :  abounding ; 

A  comedy   .    .    .    replete  with  wit  and  mirth. 

— Sheridan, 
Repose  On,  Upon. 

To  rest  in  confidence ;  as : 

Upon  whose  faith  and  honor  I  repose. 

— Shakespeare, 

The  soul,  reposing  on  assured  relief, 
Feels  herself  happy  amidst  all  her  grief. 

— Cowper, 
Reproach  With,  For. 

Censure  with  severity ;  upbraid. 
Scenes  which  .    .    .  would  not  reproach  me 
with  the  loss  I  felt. — Cowper, 

"I  reproached  him  for  his  conduct." 

Repugnant  To. 

Highly  distasteful;  as: 

There  are  certain  national  dishes  that  are 
repugnant  to  evevj  foreign  palate. — Lowell, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  133 

Requisite  For. 

Necessary;  indispensable;  as: 

Every  work  of  art  should  contain  within  itself 
all  that  is  requisite  for  its  own  comprehension. 

—Poe. 
Resemblance  To,  Between  Of. 

To,  Between. — Likeness ;  as : 

*^They  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  each 
other. ' ' 

*'It  would  be  easy  to  indicate  many  points  of 
resemblance  between  them.'' 

Of. — A  representation ;  semblance ;  as : 

He  is  then  described  as  gliding  through  the 
garden  under  the  resemblance  of  a  mist. 

— Addison. 
Reside  In,  At»  On. 

{Live  is  preferable  in  ordinary  speech.) 

Have  a  settled  abode  for  a  considerable  time ; 
be  inherent  in,  as  a  quality ;  as : 

'*He  resides  in  Chicago,  on  Michigan  Ave- 
nue." 

At  the  moated  grange  resides  this  dejected 
Marianna. — Shakespeare. 

It  is  in  man  .  .  .  that  the  secret  of  his  des- 
tiny resides. — Gladstone. 

Resolve  To,  Into,  On,  Upon. 

To. — Separate  into  constituent  parts ;  as : 
Earth  that  nourished  thee,  shall  claim 
Thy  growth,  to  be  resolved  to  earth  again. 

— Bryant. 
Into. — Dissolve ;  melt ;  as : 
0,  that  this  too,  too  solid  flesh  would  melt, 
Thaw,  and  resolve  itself  into  a  dew. 

— Shakespeare. 


134  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

On,  Upon, — To  determine  on  a  course  of  coa- 
duct  or  action ;  as : 

**We  resolved  on  (or  upon)  going^/' 
Respect  For,  To,  Of. 

Esteem;  regard. 

Milton's  respect  for  himself  .  .  .  rises  well 
nigh  to  veneration. — Lowell, 

I  have  great  respect  for  the  man. 
No  man  forgets  respect  to  another  who  knows 
the  value  of  respect  to  himself. — Bulwer. 

In  or  with  respect  to. — Eelation;  reference; 
as: 

**I  learned  nothing  with  respect  to  the 
affair." 

Of, — To  regard  persons  with  partiality ;  as : 

It  is  not  good  to  have  respect  of  persons  in 
judgment. — Prov,  xxiv.  23. 

Rest  On,  Upon,  In,  Prom,  With. 

On,  Upon. — Have  a  foundation,  literally  or 
figuratively;  trust;  rely;  depend  for  support; 
as: 

Eloquence  .  .  .  rests  on  laws  the  most  exact 
and  determinate. — Emerson. 

Belief  rests  upon  knowledge. — R,  James, 

In, — Acquiesce ;  be  content ;  be  dead ;  as : 
In  a  patient  hope  /  rest.  ,    ,    .  — Whittier, 

*^He  rests  in  the  grave." 
From. — Cease;  as: 
*^He  rested  from  his  labors." 
With, — Be  in  the  power  of ;  depend  upon ;  as : 
^^The  question  rests  with  the  people." 
Restore  To. 

To  bring  back  to  a  former  state ;  return ;  as : 
*'The  patient  was  restored  to  health." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  135 

**The  monarch  was  restored  to  his  throne.'' 
**The  book  was  restored  to  its  owner." 
Bestralu  From,  Of. 

From, — To  check;  hinder;  as: 

**Some  men  are  restrained  from  evil  only  by 
the  fear  of  punishment." 

Of, — Eestrict ;  hinder  from  liberty  of  action ; 
as: 

Though  they  two  were  .  .  .  restrained  of 
their  liberty. — Clarendon. 

Eesult  In,  From. 

In, — Terminate  or  end ;  as : 
**The  exposure  resulted  in  his  death." 
From. — Spring  or  proceed  from;  as: 
**The  war  resulted  from  a  mistaken  policy." 

Return  To. 

Elect  as  a  member  of  Congress  or  of  Parlia- 
ment ;  to  go  or  come  back  to  a  former  state  or 
place;  as: 

^^Lord  Bolingbrooke  was  not  returned  to 
Parliament. ' ' 

^^He  returned  to  his  father's  house." 

Bevel  In. 

Indulge  freely;  delight  keenly;  as: 

Poetry  here  seems  to  assume  the  highest  tone 

of  triumph  and  exultation,  and  to  revel  .    .    . 

in  all  the  extravagance  of  joy. — R.  Lowth. 

Our  kind  host  .  .  .  reveled  in  my  father's 
humor. — Lady  Holland. 

Reverse  Of. 

That  which  is  directly  opposite  or  contrary; 
as: 

Too  much  courtesy  ...  is  often  the  reverse 
of  kindness. — Scott. 


136  THE  COEKECT  PREPOSITION: 

Bevert  To. 

To  return;  to  come  back;  to  go  back  in 
thought;  as: 

So  that  my  arrows 
Would  have  reverted  to  my  bow  again. 

— Shakespeare, 

As  fancy  reverts  to  my  father's  plantation. 

— Woodworth, 

Beward  By,  Witli,  For. 

Eecompense ;  compensate ;  as : 

*^  Andrew  Carnegie  was  rewarded  by  France 
with  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  for  his 
efforts  in  the  cause  of  universal  peace. ' ' 

Bich  In,  With. 

Amply  supplied  or  equipped;  abundantly 
provided;  as: 

Foremost  captain  of  his  time, 

Rich  in  saving  common  sense. — Tennyson, 

And  make  her  chronicle  as  rich  with  praise 
As  is  the  ooze  and  bottom  of  the  sea 
With  sunken  wrecks  and  sumless  treasures. 

— Shakespeare. 

Bid  Of. 

Free;  clear;  as: 

Rid  all  the  sea  of  pirates. — Shakespeare. 

Bob  Of. 

Plunder;  steal  from;  as: 
**In  the  rush  the  man  was  robbed  of  his 
purse. ' ' 

Bub  Against. 

Scrape;  gaze;  as: 

*'The  boat  rubbed  against  the  rocks." 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  137 

Buluous  To. 

Destructive;  as: 

Nothing  can  be  more  ruinous  to  a  mountain- 
ous country  than  to  cut  down  its  forests. 

— W.  M.  Thompson. 
Rule  By,  With,  Over,  On. 

By. — Take  the  advice  of   (generally  in  the 
passive) ;  govern; 
.We'll  do  thee  homage  and  be  ruled  by  thee. 

— Shakespeare. 

With, — To  guide  or  order  aright ;  as : 
His  actions  seemed  ruled  with  a  ruler. — Lamb, 
Over. — Have  dominion  over ;  as : 
We  subdue  and  rule  over  all  other  creatures. 

— Ray, 

On. — To  lay  down  a  rule  or  order ;  as : 
*VThe  judge  has  ruled  on  that  point." 

Sacred  To. 

Dedicated ;  devoted ;  consecrated ;  as : 

A   temple   sacred   to   the   queen   of  love. — 

A  temple  sacred  to  the  queen  of  love. 

— Dryden. 
Sail  To,  For,  From. 

To  journey  by  water ;  as : 

They  sailed  to  the  West  Indies." 

^'They  sailed  from  New  York  for  Liverpool." 

Sameness  Of,  In. 

Essential  resemblance ;  dull  monotony ;  as : 
'^They  show  much  sameness  of  disposition." 
He  was  totally  unfitted  for  the  flat  sameness 
of  domestic  life. — Melville, 

It  haunted  me  the  morning  long, 
With  weary  sameness  in  the  rhymes. 

— Tennyson. 


138  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Sate  With. 

Fill;  satiate;  as: 

Crowds  of  wanderer's  sated  with  the  business 
and  pleasure  of  great  cities. — Macauley, 

Satiate  (a)  With. 

Filled  to  satiety;  as: 

Summer  winds 
Satiate  with  sweet  flowers. — Shelley. 

(v.)  I  may  yet  survive  tlie  malice  of  my  ene- 
mies, although  they  should  be  satiated  with  my 
blood. — Eikon  Basilike, 

Satisfy  With. 

Supply  or  gratify  completely;  content;  as: 
I  pray  you,  let  us  satisfy  our  eyes 
With  the  memorials  and  the  things  of  fame 
That  do  renown  this  city. — Shakespeare, 

...  he  was  satisfied  with  their  political 
sub  j  ection . — Freeman. 

Saturate  With. 

To  fill  to  excess ;  cause  to  be  thoroughly  pen- 
etrated or  imbued;  as: 

.  .  .  emerald  meadow,  saturated  with  the 
moisture  of  the  Atlantic. — Macauley. 

Fill  and  saturate  each  kind 

With  good  according  to  its  mind. — Emerson. 

Save  From,  By. 

From. — Preserve  from  danger;  wrest  from 
something  impending;  as: 

Her    generosity    saved    the    family    from 


a 


By. — The  means  by  which  a  person  or  thing 
is  saved;  as: 
**We  are  saved  by  faith.'' 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  139 

Savor  Of. 

Have  a  peculiar  quality  or  characteristic; 
as: 

I  have  rejected  everything  that  savors  of 
party. — Addison, 
ScintUla  Of. 

A  spark;  the  smallest  trace  or  particle;  as: 

This  assertion  contains  a  scintilla  of  truth. 

— Henri/  George. 

Scoff  At. 

Deride;  speak  jeeringly;  as: 

It  is  an  easy  thing  to  scoff  at  any  art  or 
recreation. — 7.  Walton, 
Screen  From,  By. 

Shield  from   observation   or   annoyance   as 
with  a  screen ;  as : 

^^The  house  was  screened  from  the  north 
winds  hy  a  hill.^' 

**The  criminal  was  screened  from  justice  by 
his  friends." 
Search  For,  Into. 

For.— Look  for  something;  as: 

*^They  searched  for  hidden  treasure.'' 

Into, — Make  strict  inquiry;  as: 

^'Search  into  the  cause  of  the  uprising.'' 
Season  With,  By. 

With. — Eender  more  agreeable;  make  palat- 
able ;  add  zest  to ;  mitigate ;  imbue ;  as : 

**Meat  must  be  seasoned  with  salt." 

You  season   still  with  sports  your  serious 
hours. — Dryden. 

There  is  no  mirth  .  .  .  not  truly  seasoned 
with  madness. — Ford. 

By. — Bring  to  the  best  state  for  use  by  any 
process;  as: 

** Timber  is  seasoned  by  drying." 


140  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Secure  From,  Against,  Of. 

From,  Against, — Free  from  danger;  safe; 
as: 

For  me,  secure  from  fortune's  blows. 

— Dryden. 

**They  were  now  secure  against  the  attacks 
of  the  enemy.'' 

Of. — Thoroughly  confident ;  as : 

Secure  of  me,  0  King!  exhort  the  rest. — 
Pope. 
Seek  After,  For,  Of,  To. 

After. — Try  to  obtain;  as: 

He  seeks  after  wealth. 

For. — Try  to  find;  as: 

**The  sailors  sought  for  safety." 

Of. — To  inquire  for;  solicit;  as: 

Others  .  .  .  sought  of  him  a  sign. 

— Luke  xi.  16. 
To. — Endeavor;  as: 

A  thousand  ways  he  seeks 
To  mend  the  hurt  that  his  unkindness  marr'd. 

— Shakespeare. 

Seek  means  to  search  for,  and  should  not 
properly  be  followed  by  ^^for"  in  this  sense; 
as: 

Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ! 

— Luke  xxiv.  5. 
Seize,  On,  Upon,  With,  By. 

On,  Upon. — Take  sudden  or  forcible  posses- 
sion; lay  hold  of;  as: 

.  .  .  some  men  .  .  .  rapidly  seize  on  the  best 
expedient. — Ranke. 

Thee  and  thy  virtues  here  I  seize  upon. 

— Shakespeare. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT 


141 


With,  By, — Come  upon  with  sudden  attack; 
as: 

*^He  was  seised  by  the  robber.'^ 

He  was  seized  with  a  sudden  desire  to  depart. 
Sell  For,  By. 

Dispose  of  for  a  price  or  by  subscription. 

''He  sold  the  house  for  three  thousand 
dollars. ' ' 

The  book  will  be  sold  by  subscription  only. 

Things  are  sold  at  auction  in  the  United 
States,  by  auction  in  England. 

Send  To,  For,  By,  From. 

Cause  or  direct  to  go;  despatch;  as: 

I  sent  the  letter  from  New  York  to  Chicago 

by  registered  mail. 
For. — To  request  or  require  by  message ;  as : 
''Next  day  the  Queen  sent  for  Lord  L .'' 

Sensible  Of,  To. 

Of, — Having  a  perception  or  cognition ;  fully 

aware;  as: 
A  man  .  .  .  cannot  think  at  any  time  .  .  . 

without  being  sensible  of  it. — Locke, 

To, — Capable  of  being  acted  on  through  the 
emotions  or  feelings;  as: 

Air  is  sensible  to  the  touch  by  its  motion. 

— Arbuthnot, 
Sensitive  To. 

Keenly  susceptible  of  external  influences  or 
impressions ;  impressible ;  as : 

She  was  too  sensitive  to  abuse  and  calumny. 

— Macaulay, 
Serve  For,  To. 

For, — Be  of  use  to,  especially  as  a  substi 
tute;  as: 

"This  umbrella  will  serve  me  for  a  cane.'' 
To. — Suffice;  as: 


142  THE  COBRECT  PREPOSITION: 

^^ These  few  excerpts  will  serve  to  show  the 
character  of  the  book.'' 

Set  In,  With. 
In, — To  frame  or  mount;  fix  firmly;  as: 
**He  had  a  beautiful  emerald  set  in  gold.*' 
They  show  how  hard  they  are  set  in  this  par- 
ticular.— Addison, 
With, — Adorned;  as: 
A  rosebud  set  with  little  wilful  thorns. 

— Tennyson, 

Pastoral  dales  thin  set  with  modem  farms. 

— Wordsworth, 

Settle  On,  Upon,  In,  With,  For. 

On,  Upon, — To  alight;  determine;  as: 
Flocks  of  pigeons  setting  on  the  rocks. 

— Moore, 
Never  settle  upon  any  thing  as  true,  because 

it  is  safer  to  hold  it  than  not. — Bushnell, 

**They  have  not  yet  settled  on  a  house.'' 

Into, — Sink  into;  as : 

*^The  old  structure  began  to  settle  into  an  ad- 
joining excavation." 

With,  For, — To  adjust  difference  or  ac- 
counts; as: 

**He  settled  with  his  creditors  for  one-half 
the  amount  due." 

In, — Enter  upon  a  residence;  as: 

He  has  settled  in  New  York. 
Shame  Into. 

To  force  or  drive  by  shame ;  as : 

**He  was  shamed  into  doing  his  duty." 

Share  (n)  In,  Of,  (v)  With,  Among,  Between,  In. 

In,  Of, — A  portion  of  something;  an  allot- 
ted part  of  something  divided;  as: 

.  .  .  they  expected  I  should  let  them  have 
a  share  of  everything  I  had. — Pococke, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  143 

**I  have  a  share  in  the  business/' 
With, — Divide ;  partake  of ;  as : 
**He    will    share    his    last    dollar    tuith    a 
friend. ' ' 

.  .  .  and  share  the  crops  with  his  landlord. 

— Washburn, 

Marcus  Anrelius  said  he  could  relish  no  hap- 
piness which  nobody  shared  ivith  him. — Collier, 

Among,  Between. — Divide  into  portions ;  dis- 
tribute among  several;  as: 

^*She  shared  the  apple  between  the  two 
children. ' ' 

**The  estate  was  shared  evenly  among  the 
five  sons." 

In, — Participate. 

*^You  must  share  in  my  good  fortune." 

Sick  For,  Of,  With. 

For, — Pining;  as: 

Sick  as  an  autumn  swallow  /or  a  voyage. 

— Tennyson, 

Of, — Disgusted  from  satiety;  as: 
The  commonwealth  is  sick  of  its  own  choice. 

— Shakespeare, 

Of,  With, — 111;  seriously  indisposed.  See 
111, 

Simon's  wife's  mother  lay  sick  of  fever. 

-     —Mark  i,  30, 

Behold  them  that  are  sick  with  famine. 

— Jer.  xiv.  18, 

In  England  there  is  a  tendency  to  confine 
sick  to  the  distinctive  sense  of  nauseated;  but 
in  America  the  word  still  retains  its  broadest 
sense. 


144  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Significant  Of. 

Serving  as  a  sign  or  indication ;  as : 
^^Her  attitude  was  significant  of  despair/' 

Silhouette  On,  Against. 

Make  or  bring  out  a  shaded  profile  or  out- 
line view  of;  as: 

A  flock  of  roosting  vultures,  silhouetted  on 
the  sky.— G.  W,  Cable. 

He    stood    silhouetted    against    the    flaming 
Eastern  sky  alone. — 8.  J,  Duncan, 
Similar  To. 

Like,  but  not  completely  identical ;  as : 

The  dresses  of  the  female  slaves  are  similar 
to  those  of  the  Egyptian  women. — E.  W.  Lane, 
Similarity  Of,  To,  Between. 

Hardly  is  there  a  similarity  detected  between 
two  or  three  facts,  than  men  hasten  to  extend 
it  to  all. — Sir  W,  Hamilton, 

It  is  plain  that  in  finding  out  the  similarities 
of  things,  we  analyse. — J.  Sully. 
Simplicity  Of,  In. 

The  state  or  quality  of  being  simple ;  as  : 

The  simplicity  of  the  universe  is  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  simplicity  of  a  machine. 

— Emerson. 

There  was  in  the  ancient  church  a  great 
simplicity  in  their  creeds. — Gilbert  Burnet. 
Sink  Into,  In,  Beneath. 

To  fall  or  decline  by  the  force  of  gravity; 
specifically  to  become  submerged  in  deep  water ; 
as: 

* '  A  stone  sinks  in  water. ' ' 

Let  these  sayings  sink  down  into  your  ears. 

— Luke  ix.  44. 

**He  sank  beneath  the  waves.'' 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  145 

Sit  On,  Upon,  In,  For,  With. 
On,  Upon. — Occupy  a  seat;  hold  a  session 

regarding ;  figuratively  anything  assumed,  as  an 

air,  appearance,  opinion,  or  habit ;  as : 
^  ^  She  was  sitting  on  sl  bench  in  the  park. ' ' 
^*The  coroner's  jury  sat  on  the  case.'' 
Her  little  air  of  precision  sits  so  well  upon 

her. — Scott, 

In, — Be  located  or  situated,  as : 
Love  sits  in  her  smile. — Burns. 

Situated  On,  In. 

Located;  as: 

^^  Albany  is  situated  in  the  state  of  New 
York.'' 

Asuncion  is  charmingly  situated  on  gently 
undulating  ground. — T.  Child. 
Skilful,  Skilful  At,  In. 

Having  ability  in  a  specified  direction ;  as : 

^^She  was  skilful  at  the  organ,  and  also  in 
drawing. ' ' 
Smile  On,  Upon,  At. 

Show  approval  in  any  way;  an  incipient 
laugh,  generally  indicative  of  pleasure  but  some- 
times of  depreciation  or  contempt ;  as : 

*  *  May  Heaven  smile  on  our  work. ' ' 

.  .  .  Mr.  Great-heart  .  .  .  smiled  upon 
his  companions. — Bunyan. 

That  could  be  moved  to  smile  at  anything. 

— Shakespeare. 

Smile  at  the  claims  of  long  descent, — Ten- 
nyson. 
Snap  At. 

To  make  a  snatch;  accept  gladly  and 
promptly;  as: 


146  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

We  snap  at  the  bait  without  ever  dreaming 

of  the  hook  that  goes  along  with  it. 

— Sir  R.  L' Estrange. 
Snatch  At. 

To  seize  or  attempt  to  seize  a  thing  suddenly ; 
as: 

Snatch  not  at  every  favor. — Sir  T.  Brown. 
Soak  In,  With. 

In, — To  lie  in  and  become  saturated  with 
water  or  some  other  liquid ;  as : 

''Soak  the  bread  in  the  broth.'' 

With, — To  flood ;  saturate ;  as : 

^^His  clothing  was  soaked  with  rain.'' 
Salicitous  Ahout,  Concerning,  For,  less  frequently  Of,  To. 

About,  Concerning, — Concerned;  uneasy;  as: 

*^I  am  not  at  all  solicitous  about  (or  concern- 
ing) it." 

For,  Of, — Anxious  to  obtain ;  as : 

**He  was  solicitous  for  my  advice." 

You  are  solicitous  of  the  good-will  of  the 
meanest  person. — Emerson, 

To. — Desirous;  as: 

The  colonel  had  been    .     .     . 

Not  enough  solicitous  to  finish  the  fortifica- 
tions.— Clarendon. 

Sorry  For. 
Grieved;  as: 
I  am  sorry  for  thee,  friend. — Shakespeare, 

Speak  For,  Against,  With,  To,  On,  Upon,  About. 
For,  Against, — To  make  an  oral  address ;  as : 
Lord  Sandwich  spoke  for  the  treaty. 

— Walpole. 
**He  spoke  against  the  measure." 
With,  To. — Talk;  converse;  as: 
Would  you  speak  with  me? — Shakespeare. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  147 

'  *  They  do  not  speak  to  each  other. ' ' 

Ovif  Upon,  About. — A  subject;  as: 

'*He  spoke  at  length  on  the  tariff  question. '' 

**He  spoke  about  that  matter  this  morning.'^ 

speculate  On,  In,  About. 

On,  About, — Meditate;  theorize;  form  con- 
jectures ;  as : 

They  moralize  and  speculate  about  eternity. 

— Robertson. 

I  certainly  take  my  full  share    ...    in 
speculating   on  what  has   been   done.     .     .     . 

— Burke. 

In. — Make  an  outlay  in  the  hope  of  probable 
gain;  as: 
**He  speculates  in  stocks.'' 

Spoil  Of. 

Plunder ;  strip  by  violence ;  as : 

Spoiled   of  his   kingdom,    and   deprived   of 
eyes. — Pope. 

Spy  Into,  upon. 
Into. — To  search  narrowly;  as: 
It  is  my  nature's  plague  to  spy  into  abuses. 

— Shakespeare. 

Upon. — Keep  watch  closely  and  secretly ;  as : 
This  evening  I  will  spy  upon  the  bishop. 

— Donne. 
Square  With,  By. 

With. — To  accord  or  agree  exactly ;  as : 

**His  logic  squares  ivith  the  facts." 

By. — To   reduce   to   any  given  measure   or 

standard;  regulate;  as: 
Why  needs  Sordello  square  his  course  by  any 

known  example? — Browning. 


148  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Starve  For. 

Suffer  for  lack  of  anything ;  as : 

I  .  .  ,  starve  for  a  merry  look. 

— Shakespeare. 
steep  In. 

To  imbue  or  impregnate  as  with  a  specified 
influence;  cause  to  become  permeated  or  per- 
vaded with ;  as : 

Is  this  a  time  to  steep 
Thy  brains  in  wasteful  slumbers'? 

— Quarles, 

Thou  art  so  steeped  in  misery, 

Surely  'twere  better  not  to  be. 

— Tennyson, 
strip  Of. 

Deprive  of  covering ;  rob ;  as : 

*  ^  Lightening  stripped  the  tree  of  its  bark. ' ' 

**He  was  stripped  of  all  his  possessions.'' 

strive  With,  For,  Against. 

Struggle  with  or  against  that  which  opposes, 
for  that  which  is  desired ;  as : 

^^ Strive  for  the  truth." 

Striving  with  love  and  hate,  with  life  and 
death. — William  Morris. 

Against  the  Deity  'tis  hard  to  strive. — Prior. 
With. — To  vie;  to  oppose  by  contrariety  of 
qualities ;  as : 

.     .     .    the  inspired 
Castalian  spring,  might  with  this  Paradise  of 
Eden  strive.  — Milton. 

Now  private  pity  strove  with  public  hate, 
Eeason  with  rage,  and  eloquence  with  fate. 

— Sir  J.  Denham, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  149 

Stumble  On,  Upon. 

To  come  accidentally  or  unexpectedly ;  as : 
On  what  evil  day 
Has  he  then  stumhledf 

— William  Morris, 

Chance  sometimes,  in  experimenting,  maketh 
us  to  stumble  upon  somewhat  which  is  new. 

— Bacon, 

Subject  To. 

(N.)  Exposed,  liable;  prone,  exposed  or 
liable,  as  to  what  may  confirm  or  modify;  as: 

My  Lord,  .  .  .  this  makes  you  more  sub- 
ject to  envy. — Howell, 

"The  books  will  be  sent  subject  to  your  ap- 
proval. ' ' 

The  Greeks  were  subjected  to  the  Eomans. 

^*The  student  was  subjected  to  an  examina- 
tion." 

(V.). — To  expose  or  make  liable;  cause  to 
undergo ;  subdue ;  as : 

^*  Credulity  subjects  one  to  impositions. ' ' 

Submit  To. 

Yield;  as: 

The  Mahometans  .  .  .  with  one  consent 
submitted  to  the  tribute  imposed  upon  them. 

— Bruce, 

Subscribe  For,  To,  Towards. 

Promise  a  certain  sum  for  a  special  purpose ; 
to  give  consent ;  as : 

**We  subscribe  for  a  daily  paper.'' 
^*He  subscribed  $500  to  the  building  fund.'' 
Nothing    .     .     .    would  induce  him  to  sub- 
scribe toivards  the  expenses. — Dickens, 

W6  will  all  subscribe  to  thy  advice. 

— Shakespeare. 


150  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Note. — We  subscribe  for  a  paper  but  speak 
of  our  subscription  to  it. 

Subsist  On,  In. 

On. — To  be  maintained ;  live ;  as : 
Had  it  been  our  sad  lot  to  subsist  on  other 
men^s  charity. — Atterbury. 

In. — To  have  existence  in ;  as : 
The   Universal    Cause     .     .     .    makes   hap- 
piness.    .     .     . 
Subsist,  not  in  the  good  of  one,  but  all. — Pope, 

Substitute  For. 

Put  in  exchange ;  as  : 

For  real  wit  he  is  obliged  to  substitute  vivac- 
ity.— Goldsmith. 

Subversion  Of.  ^ 

Overthrow ;  utter  ruin ;  as : 

Laws  have  been  often  abused  to  the  .  .  . 
subversion  of  that  order  they  were  intended  to 
preserve. — Rogers. 

Sufficient  For. 

Adequate,  enough ;  as : 

*^This  is  sufficient  for  my  purpose.'' 

Suffuse  With. 

With. — Fill  or  cover ;  as : 
Hers  was  a  face  suffused  with  the  fine  essence 
of  beauty. — L.  Winthrop. 

^*Her  eyes  were  suffused  with  tears." 

Suitable  To,  For. 

To. — Conformable ;  proper ;  as ; 
For  his  outward  habit, 
'Tis  suitable  to  his  present  course  of  life. 

— Fletcher. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  151 

For, — Fit  or  adapted  for  a  specified  purpose ; 
as: 

**The  building  is  suitable  for  a  library." 
Superior  In,  To. 

In, — Greater  in  some  quality ;  as : 

The  French  were  superior  in  the  number  and 
condition  of  their  cavalry. — Prescott. 

To. — Surpassing  something  or  someone  in 
greatness;  beyond  the  power  or  influence  of 
something ;  as : 

Nor  do  I  know  anything  in  ivory  carving 
superior  to  the  panels  of  the  tomb  itself. 

— C.  D.  Warner. 

That  I  may  read,  and  ride,  and  plant, 
Superior  to  Desire,  or  Want. — Prior. 

Supply  With. 

Provide ;  as : 

The  day  supplieth  us  with  truths;  the  night 
with  fictions  and  falsehoods. — Sir  T.  Browne. 

**The  army  was  well  supplied  with  ammuni- 
tion.'' 
Surcharge  With. 

Overload ;  as : 

The  air,  surcharged  with  moisture,  flagg'd 
around. — Crabbe. 

Sure  Of. 

Certain  to  find  or  retain ;  as : 

I  never  can  requite  thee  but  with  love. 
And  that  thou  shalt  be  sure  of. 

Beau,  and  Fl. 

Surprise  At,  By,  With,  Into. 

'At. — To  strike  with  sudden  astonishment;  as: 
**We  were  surprised  at  the  unexpected  turn 
of  affairs." 


152  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

By. — To  come  upon  unexpectedly ;  as : 
The    general-in-chief    .     .     .    was    on    the 
point  of  being  surprised  by  the  rebel  forces. 

— A.  Alison,  Jr. 

With, — The  sudden  presentation  of  some  ob- 
ject; as: 

*^She  was  surprised  with  a  beautiful  diamond 
brooch. ' ' 

Into, — To  lead  unaware;  as: 

**He  was  surprised  into  a  full  avowal.'^ 

Surround  By,  With. 

To  encompass;  to  place  something  around; 
as: 

On  arriving  we  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
of  Arabs. — Lady  Brassey, 

The  imagination  of  the  savage  surrounds  life 
with  an  atmosphere  of  awe  and  mystery. 

— E,  J.  Glave. 

**By"  is  used  when  the  verb  is  in  the  passive 
voice,  **with/'  when  the  verb  has  an  object. 

Susceptible  Of,  To. 

Of. — Capable  of  being  affected ;  as : 
It  shed  on  souls  susceptible  of  light 
The  glorious  dawn  of  an  eternal  day. 

— Young. 

To,  Of. — The  agency  which  affects ;  as : 
**He  is  very  susceptible  to  flattery.'^ 
Hill,     .     .     .    was  infinitely  too  susceptible 
of  criticism. — D' Israeli. 

In  strict  usage  ** susceptible''  is  used  only  of 
that  which  is  acted  on ;  *  ^  capable, ' '  of  that  which 
has  either  power  of  receptivity. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT 


153 


Bwerve  From. 

Deviate  from  any  line,  rule,  or  course ;  as : 

^^The  bullet  swerved  from  the  mark.'' 

No  threatening  tyrant's  darkling  brow 

Can  swerve  him  from  his  just  intent. 

— Byron. 
Sympathize  With,  In. 

To  be  affected  with  feelings  corresponding  to 
the  feelings  of  another ;  feel  with  another ;  as : 

^^The  true  critic  must  sympathize  with  the 
author. ' ' 

Their  countrymen  sympathized  with  their 
heroes  in  all  their  adventures. — Addison, 

Sympathy  For,  With,  Between. 

For. — A  feeling  of  compassion  for  another's 
sufferings ;  as : 

In  order  to  awaken  something  of  sympathy 
for  the  unfortunate  natives. — Burke. 

With  J  Bettveen. — Harmony ;  accord ;  an  agree- 
ment of  affections  or  inclinations ;  as : 

^^They  are  in  sympathy  ivith  each  other." 
^^ There  is  perfect  sympathy  between  them." 

Synopsis  Of. 

A  summary  or  brief  statement  giving  a  gen- 
eral view  of  some  subject ;  as : 

I  shall  here  draw  up  a  short  synopsis  of  this 
epistle. — Warhurton. 

Tally  With. 

Conform;  agree;  as: 

I  found  pieces  of  tiles  that  exactly  tallied 
with  the  channel. — Addison, 

On  one  point  Mrs.  Holt's  plaint  tallied  with 
his  own  forebodings. — George  Eliot. 


154  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Tamper  Witli. 

Experiment  rashly ;  meddle ;  interfere,  as  for 
the  purpose  of  alteration;  use  corrupt  meas- 
ures ;  as : 
Yet  scarce  I  praise  their  venturous  part 
.Who  tamper  with  such  dangerous  art. 

—Scott. 

Vain  minds  would  still  be  tampering  with  the 
greatest  affairs. — Leighton, 

We  do  not  blame  the  ingenious  author  .  .  . 
for  her  tampering  with  the  original  text. 

— Academy. 

Some  meddling  rogue  has  tampered  with  him. 

— Tennyson. 
Target  For. 

Figuratively,  anything  at  which  observation 
is  aimed;  as: 

They  to  whom  my  foolish  passion  were  a 
target  for  their  scorn. — Tennyson. 

Taste  Of  For. 

Of  (Verb). — Have  a  particular  flavor;  take 
sparingly;  have  perception;  experience;  as: 

^'The  milk  tastes  of  garlic.  *' 

Yea,  every  idle,  nice,  and  wanton  reason 

Shall  to  the  king  taste  of  this  action. 

— Shakespeare. 

For  age  but  tastes  of  pleasures,  youth  de- 
vours.— Dryden. 

Cowards  die  many  times  before  their  deaths ; 
The  valiant  never  taste  of  death  but  once. 

— Shakespeare. 

For  (noun). — Intellectual  discernment;  pre- 
dilection, as : 

Locke  had  no  taste  for  fiction. — Leigh  Hunt, 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  155 

Tax  With,  For. 

With, — Accuse ;  charge ;  as : 

Essex  taxed  his  perfidious  friend  with  un- 
kindness  and  insincerity. — Macaulay, 

For,  —  Levy  money  or  other  contributions 
from;  as: 

*^  Property  holders  are  taxed  for  street  im- 
provements. ' ' 
Teem  With. 

Prolific  or  abundantly  fertile,  filled  to  over- 
flowing; as: 

The    Latin    language    teems    with    sounds 
adapted  to  every  situation. — Goldsmith, 
Tend  To,  Toward. 

To. — Exert  an  influence  in  a  certain  direction 
or  toward  a  certain  end ;  conduce ;  as : 

**  Exercise  tends  to  strengthen  the  muscles. '* 

** Education  tends  to  refinement.'' 

To,  Toivard. — To  move  in  a  certain  direc- 
tion ;  as : 

The  clouds  above  me  to  the  white  Alps  tend, 

— Byron, 

''He  tended  toward  the  mountain." 
Tend  On,  Upon. 

Attend ;  serve ;  as : 

O  I  that  wasted  time  to  tend  upon  her. 

— Tennyson, 
Was  he  not  companion  with  the  riotous  knights 
That  tend  upon  my  father! — Shakespeare, 
Tender  Of,  Over. 

Careful ;  solicitous ;  watchful ;  as : 

Get  once  a  good  Name,  and  be  very  tender  of 
it  afterwards. — Howell, 

So  tender  over  his  occasions,  true, 
So  feat,  so  nurse-like. — Shakespeare, 


156  THE  CORKECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Terminate  In,  At,  With. 
In. — To  be  limited  by  a  boundary ;  end ;  as : 
.  .  .  and  terminates  in  two  round  cul-de-sacs. 

— Owen, 
At,  With. — Cease;    end;    come  to  an  end  in 

time;  as: 

''The  torrid  zone  terminates  at  the  tropics." 
Human  aid  and  human  solace  terminate  at 

the  grave. — D.  Webster. 

The  festival  terminated  at  the  morning-call  to 
prayer. — E.  W.  Lane. 

* '  The  history  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico  ter- 
minates ivith  the  surrender  of  the  capital.'' 

Thankful  For. 

Impressed  with  a  sense  of  kindness  re- 
ceived; as: 

''We  should  be  thankful  for  benefits  re- 
ceived. ' ' 

Thick  With. 

Abounding;  filled ;  as : 

The  air  was  thick  with  falling  snow. — Bryant. 

She  looked  up  at  Eve,  her  eyes  thick  with 
tears. — Harper's  Magazine. 
Think  Of,  On,  About. 

To  exercise  the  intellect  as  in  apprehension, 
judgment,  or  inference ;  meditate ;  as : 

"He  thought  long  on  the  subject  before  he 
spoke.'' 

.  .  .  Vanity  relates  to  what  we  would  have 
others  think  of  us. — Jane  Austen. 

He  left  the  world  still  thinking  on  his  name. 

— William  Morris. 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  going." 

Of. — To  imagine ;  fasten  the  mind  on ;  enter- 
tain a  sentiment  or  opinion ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  157 

'Tis  their  misfortune  not  to  have  thought  of 
a  remedy. — Lister, 

' '  I  think  very  highly  of  his  abilities. ' ' 
That  we  can  at  any  moment  think  of  the  same 
thing  which  at  any  former  moment  we  thought 
of  is  the  ultimate  law  of  our  intellectual  consti- 
tution.— W .  James. 

Thirst  For,  After. 

To  have  a  vehement  desire ;  crave ;  as : 
Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness. — Mat,  v,  6, 

He  thirsted  for  all  liberal  knowledge. 

— Milton. 
Threaten  With,  To  (infinitive).  By. 

Menace ;  as : 

And  threatened  me  with  death. — Shakespeare. 

To. — To   announce   or   hold   out   as   a  pen- 
alty ;  as : 
'    He  threatened  to  detain  us. — Pococke. 

By. — That  which  menaces ;  as : 
^'They  were  threatened  by  the  guard." 

Tincture  With. 

Flavor ;  impregnate ;  season ;  as : 

Early  were  our  minds  tinctured  with  a  dis- 
tinguishing sense  of  good  and  evil. 

— Bp,  Atterhury. 
Tinge  With. 

To  imbue  slightly  with  something  foreign; 
impart  a  tint  to;  vary  the  tone  or  bent  of; 
modify  by  infusion ;  as : 

The  civilization  of  New  England  .  .  .  tinges 
the  distant  horizon  with  its  glow. 
Words  .  .  .  serene, 

Yet  tinged  with  infinite  desire. — M,  Arnold. 


158  THE  COEKECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Tire  Of,  With,  By. 

Of. — To  become  weary ;  as : 

I  often  grew 
Tired  of  so  much  within  our  little  life. 

— Tennyson, 

With, — Exhaust  the  patience  of ;  as : 

He  tires  his  favorites  with  Irene's  praise. 

— 8,  Johnson. 

By. — Eeduce  the  strength  of  hy  some  means ; 
as: 

Crops  that  tire  and  exhaust  the  soil  by  ripen- 
ing their   seeds,  must  alternate   with  restful 
roots  and  herbage. — B.  D,  Hitchcock, 
Touch  At,  On,  Upon. 

At. — To  make  a  passing  call,  as  a  ship  on  a 
voyage ;  as : 

The  next  day  we  touched  at  Sidon. 

— Acts  xxvii.  3. 

On,  Upon, — To  mention  or  treat  something 
slightly  in  discourse ;  as : 

As  soon  as  he  hath  touched  on  any  science  or 
study,  he  immediately  seems  to  himself  to  have 
mastered  it. — Bp.  Atterhury. 

If  the  antiquaries  have  touched  upon  it,  they 
have  immediately  quitted  it. — Addison. 
Trample  On,  Upon. 

Tread  down,  literally  or  figuratively ;  as : 
.   .   .   but  that  thou  shouldst  be  trampled  on 
because  thou  didst  iU—Bp.  Atterhury, 

Diogenes  trampled  on  Plato's  pride. 

I  trample  on  your  offers  and  on  you. 

— Tennyson. 
Transfer  From,  To,  Unto,  Into  (sometimes  On,  Upon). 

To  convey  from  one  place  or  person  to  an- 
other ;  as : 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  159 

'*He  transferred  the  blame  from  his  shoul- 
ders to  mine." 
The  war  being  now  transferred  into  Mnnster. 

— Camden. 

.  .  .  and  transferred  the  honour  of  it  upon 
themselves. — Bp.  Atterhury, 

Translate  Into,  From. 

Eender  into  another  language ;  present  in  an- 
other form ;  as : 

^^He  translated  the  book  from  French  into 
English.'' 

Translating  into  his  own  clear,  pure,  and 
flowing  language. — Macaulay. 

Transmit  From,  To.  ♦ 

Communicate ;  as : 

Whatever  they  learn  and  know  is  transmitted 
from  one  to  another. — Bacon. 

Tread  On,  Upon. 

To  trample ;  follow  closely ;  as : 

^^They  tread  softly  upon  the  soft  ground." 

Year  treads  on  year. — Wordsworth. 

Treat  Of,  With. 

Of. — To  discourse ;  as : 

First,  we  treat  of  Dress. — Congreve, 

With. — Negotiate ;  as : 

*  ^  Envoys  were  appointed  to  treat  with 
France. ' ' 

Trench  On,  Upon. 

Encroach  upon ;  as : 

Madame,  I  am  bold 
To  trench  so  far  upon  your  privacy. 

— Massinger. 


160  THE  CORRECT  PREPOSITION: 

Trend  Of. 

A  general  course  or  direction;  an  ultimate 
inclination ;  as : 

Owing  to  the  westerly  trend  of  the  val- 
ley. .  .  . — The  Century. 

What  can  support  the  dogma  against  the 
trend  of  Scripture! — Bihliotheca  Sacra, 
Trespass  On,  Upon,  Against. 

On,  Upon. — Violate  wilfully  and  forcibly  the 
personal  or  property  rights  of  another;  in- 
trude ;  as : 

^^The  poacher  was  found  trespassing  on  the 
squire's  property." 

Against — Offend;  sin;  break  a  rule  or  cus- 
tom; as: 

Ye  shall  even  warn  them  that  trespass  not 
against  the  Lord. — 2  CJiron.  xix.  10. 

^^He  trespassed  against  fashion." 
Trifle  With. 

To  treat  a  thing  as  of  no  value  or  importance ; 
jest;  as: 

And  trifle  not  with  danger  that  attends  you. 

— Fletcher. 
Do  not  believe 


I  thus  would  play  and  trifle  with  your  reverence. 

— Shakespeare. 
Triumph  Over. 

Gain  a  victory ;  prevail ;  exult  or  boast ;  as : 
Triumphing   over  Death,   and   Chance,   and 
thee,  0  Time.— Milton. 

True  To. 

Conformable  to  reality  or  fact,  or  to  a  rule, 
standard,  or  pattern ;  faithful ;  loyal ;  as : 
A  translation  nicely  true  to  the  original. 

— Arhuthnot. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  161 

He  was  .  .  .  true  to  church  and  king. 

— Macaulay. 

Trust  In,  To,  With,  On. 

In, — To  place  or  repose  confidence  in ;  as : 
Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  do  good. — Ps,  xxxvii,  3. 

To, — Depend  or  rely  on ;  as : 
The  mouse  that  trusts  to  one  poor  hole. — 
Pope, 

TFi^/i.^-To  intrust ;  as : 
Whom  with  you  power  and  fortune,  sir,  yon 
trust. — Dryden. 

On, — Eely ;  as : 

Her  widening  streets  on  new  foundations 
trust, — Dryden, 

Turn  On,  Upon,  From,  To,  Into. 

On,  Upon, — Figuratively,  to  move  as  on  a 
point  of  support;  hinge;  confront  in  a  hostile 
manner;  as: 

* '  The  question  tufns  upon  this  point. ' ' 
A  playfulness  that  turned  on  her  supposed 
oddity  was  not  at  all  to  Maggie  ^s  taste. 

— George  Eliot, 

Pompey  turned  upon  him  again. — Bacon, 

On. — To  move  round ;  as : 

The  gate  on  golden  hinges  turning, — Milton, 

From, — To  be  deflected ;  as : 
^^He  turned  from  his  evil  ways.'' 
To. — Change;  be  directed  toward ;  tend;  re- 
sult; as: 

**  Water  turns  to  ice." 
I  believed  that  it  might  turn  to  his  profit. 

— Evelyn, 


162  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Into. — Be  transformed ;  as : 

Those  two  blush-roses  [on  a  girPs  cheeks] 
.  .  .  turned  into  a  couple  of  damasks. 

— 0.  W.  Holmes, 
Tyrannize  Over. 

Rule  despotically  or  cruelly;   maintain  arbi- 
trary control ;  as : 

Nor  .  .  .  shall  fear  be  able  to  tyrannize  over 
us. — Hooker, 
Tyranny  Of. 

Arbitrary  exercise  of  power ;  despotic  abuse 
of  authority ;  as : 

The  tyranny  of  wealthy  and  powerful  sub- 
jects was  the  characteristic  evil  of  the  times. 

— Macaulay, 

Unacquainted  With. 

Not  acquainted ;  not  familiar ;  as : 

**I  am  unacquainted  with  him.'' 

A  good  reader  .  .  .  never  undertakes  to  read 
in  public  a  passage  with  which  he  is  wholly 
unacquainted. — J.  H.  McBvaine. 
Unconcerned  At,  For,  AboHt. 

Want  of  concern ;  indifference ;  apathy ;  not 
interested ;  as : 

**He  was  unconcerned  at  the  success  of  his 
rival. ' ' 

Happy  mortals,  unconcerned  for  more. 

— Dry  den. 

*'He  seems  unconcerned  about  the  future." 

Unfavorable  To,  For. 

To. — Adverse ;  as : 

*^The  verdict  was  unfavorable  to  the  pris- 
oner. ' ' 
For. — Not  propitious ;  as:    ' 
**The  weather  is  unfavorable  for  planting/' 


HOW  TO  ¥8E  IT 


163 


UBion  Of. 

Combination;  as: 

Out  of  the  union  of  Eoman  and  Teutonic  ele- 
ments arose  the  modern  world  of  Europe. 

— E.  A.  Freeman. 
Unison  With. 

Agreement ;  harmony ;  as : 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  act  in  perfect  uni- 
son with  my  colleague. — D,  Webster, 
Iffnite  To,  With,  In,  By. 

To,  With, — Combine  so  as  to  form  one ;  as : 

Your  troops  of  horsemen  unite  with  his  bands 
of  foot. — Shakespeare, 

As  thou  hast  united  our  nature  to  thy  eternal 
being. — Jer,  Taylor, 

By, — Connect ;  join  together ;  as : 

*^The  two  families  are  united  by  marriage.'' 

In. — Act  in  concert ;  as : 

*^A11  united  in  signing  the  petition." 
Unmindful  Of. 

Eegardless ;  heedless ;  as : 

For  not  unmindful  of  thee  are  the  gods. 

— M,  Arnold, 
Unworthy  Of. 

Not  deserving ;  unbecoming ;  as : 

The  most  unworthy  of  her  you  call  Eosalind. 

— Shakespeare. 

Something  unworthy  of  the  author. — Swift, 
Useful  To,  For. 

In, — 

To,  For.— Serving  a  use  or  purpose;   bene- 
ficial ;  as : 

Now  blind,  disheartened,  sham'd,  dishonored, 
quelPd, 

To  what  can  I  be  useful. — Milton. 

'* These  things  are  useful  for  man." 


164  THE  COERBCT  PEEPO»ITIGN: 

Value  Of,  On. 

Worth ;  estimated  worth ;  as : 

The  only  value  of  universal  characters  is  that 
they  help  us  to  know  new  truths  about  individ- 
ual things. — W.  James. 

Before  events  shall  have  decided  on  the  value 
of  the  measures. — Marshall. 

And  therefore  sets  this  value  on  your  life. 

— Addison. 

Variance  With. 

Difference ;  disagreement ;  as : 

What  cause  brought  him  so  soon  at  variance 
with  himself. — Milton. 

Vary  With,  According  to.  From. 

With. — Diversify;  be  characteristically  sub- 
ject to  change ;  as : 

*  ^  He  varied  his  remarks  with  anecdotes. ' ' 
^^He  varies  with  every  new  influence.  *' 
From,  According  to. — To  be  unlike  or  diverse 
in  details ;  as : 

'^The  laws  of  one  state  vary  from  those  of 
another." 

**The  custom  varies  according  to  the  time  and 
country." 

Versed  In. 

Conversant ;  skilled ;  as : 

Versed  in  all  the  arts  which  win  the  confi- 
dence and  affection  of  youth. — Macaulay, 

He  was  thoroughly  versed  in  forest  life.— ^ 

— W.  G.  Simms. 
Vest  With,  In. 

With. — Invest  or  clothe  as  with  authority ;  as : 
Had  I  been  vested  with  the  monarch's  power. 

— Prior. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  165 

In. — To  commit  to  or  confer  upon  one  with 
full  right  of  possession  or  exercise ;  as : 

**The  power  to  pardon  is  vested  in  the  gov- 
ernor/' 

Vex  With,  At. 

To  make  angry  by  little  provocations ;  annoy ; 
as: 

They  that  vex  themselves  with  cares  and 
study. — Sir  T,  More. 

There!  you  stumble  on  the  stair  and  are 
vexed  at  your  own  awkwardness. — G.  W.  Curtis, 

Vibrant  With.  • 

Tremulous;  resonant;  as: 
Her  voice  was  vibrant  with  feeling. 

— C.  D,  Warner, 

Vie  With. 

Strive  for  superiority ;  as : 

Gold  furze  with  broom  in  blossom  vies. 

— M.  Arnold. 

View  Of,  To. 

Of.  —  Survey ;  inspection ;  mental  examina- 
tion ;  as : 

*^This  is  a  just  view  0/  the  facts.'' 
* '  This  hill  affords  a  fine  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country. ' ' 

To,  0/.— Intention ;  as : 
^  ^  All  was  planned  with  a  view  to  conquest. ' ' 
^^She  went  there  with  a  view  to  finding  out 
(or  with  the  view  of  finding  out)  what  could  be 
done. ' ' 

Vindication  Of. 

A  justification  against  objections  or  accusa- 
tions ;  as : 

This  is  no  vindication  of  her  conduct. 

— Broome, 


166  THE  GOEEECT  PEEPOSITION: 

Void  Of. 

Being  without ;  lacking ;  as : 

He  that  is  void  of  wisdom  despiseth  his  neigh- 
bor.— Prov.  xi.  12. 

Vouch  For. 

Bear  witness ;  as : 

I  dare  swear  the  lady  will  vouch  for  every 
article  of  it. — Sheridan, 
Wait  On,  Upon,  For. 

On,  Upon, — To  attend  upon  as  a  servant;  to 
go  to  see ;  to  attend  or  follow  as  a  consequence ; 
be  associated  with ;  accompany ;  as  : 

I  must  wait  on  myself,  must  I! 

— Shakespeare. 

I  have  been  twice  to  wait  upon  Dr.  Brady. 

— Edmond  Gibson. 

Now,  good  digestion  wait  on  appetite. 
And  health  on  both. — Shakespeare, 
Such  silence  waits  on  Philomena's  strains. 

— Pope. 

Yet  a  rich  guerdon  waits  on  minds  that  dare. 

— Wordsworth. 

That  ruin  that  waits  on  such  a  supine  temper. 

— D.  H.  Moore. 

For, — Be  in  expectation ;  stand  in  readiness ; 
rest  in  patience  until  a  favorable  opportunity 
arrives ;  as : 

Both  prayed  for  the  acceleration  of  that  for 
which  they  waited, — Donne, 

** Patriots  wait  for  the  call  of  their  country.'' 

*^The  thief  waits  for  a  chance  to  steal.'' 

Weary  Of,  With,  For,  To,  In. 

Of,  With. — Tire;  impatient  of;  become  fa- 
tigued; as: 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  167 

'*I  weary  with  my  walk.'' 
'*I  weary  of  their  talk." 
I  have  even  wearied  heaven  with  my  prayers. 
For, — To  long ;  as : 
^*The  exile  is  wearying  for  home." 
In, — Eelax  one's  efforts ;  as : 
**We  should  not  weary  in  doing  good." 
Weep  For,  With,  At. 

For. — Shed  tears  in  grief ;  as: 

Eachel  weeping  for  her  children. 

With, — Weep  in  sympathy ;  as : 

**I  weep  with  you  in  your  hour  of  trial." 

At, — That  which  makes  one  weep ;  as : 

* '  I  could  but  weep  at  his  sudden  downfall. ' ' 

Weigh  With,  Upon. 

With,—E.siWQ  weight  in  the  intellectual  bal- 
ance ;  as : 

He  finds  that  the  same  argument  which 
weighs  with  him  has  weighed  with  thousands 
before  him. — Bp.  Atterbury, 

Upon, — Bear  heavily ;  as : 
Cleanse  the  stuff 'd  bosom  of  that  perilous  stuff 
Which  weighs  upon  the  heart. — Shakespeare. 
Wince  Under,  At. 

To  shrink,  as  in  pain  or  from  a  blow:  liter- 
ally or  figuratively ;  as : 

Some  fretful  tempers  wince  at  every  touch. 

— Cowper. 

Philip  winced  under  this  allusion  to  his  unfit- 
ness for  active  sports. — George  Eliot, 
Witness  Of,  To. 

Of. — Testimony ;  evidence ;  as : 

If  I  bear  witness  of  myself,  my  'v^itness  is  not 
true. — John  v.  31, 

To, — One  who  or  that  which  bears  testi- 
mony ;  as : 


168  THE  COEEECT  PEEPOSITION; 

Your  mother  lives  a  witness  to  that  vow. 

— Shakespeare, 

Worthy  Of,  To  (infinitive). 

Deserving ;  as : 

Epaminondas,  amongst  the  Thebans,  is 
worthy  of  note  and  memory. — Ford, 

I  never  heard 
Sounds  such  as  these,  so  worthy  to  be  feared. 

— Cowper. 

Wrap  Around,  About,  In,  With. 

Around,  About. — To  fold,  or  draw  together, 
as  a  cloth,  so  as  to  protect  or  enclose  some- 
thing; as: 

*'She  wrapped  a  shawl  around  the  child.'* 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams. 

— Bryant. 

In,  With. — Infold,  envelop ;  conceal ;  as : 
The  buildings  in  one  quarter  of  the  town  were 
speedily  wrapt  in  flames. — Prescott. 

"Wise  poets  that  wrap  truth  in  tales. — Carew, 

Yearn  For. 

Desire  something  anxionsly ;  as : 

But  my  heart  would  still  yearn  for  the  sound 
of  the  waves. — 0.  W,  Holmes. 

Yield  To. 

Give  way ;  cease  opposing ;  as : 

There  is  a  noble  nature  in  man  that  .  .  . 
yields  softly  to  rectitude  and  justice. 

— Edward  Irving. 
Yoke  With. 

To  couple ;  to  join  with  another ;  as : 
Cassius,  you  are  yoked  with  a  lamb. 

— Shakespeare. 


HOW  TO  USE  IT  •     169 

Zealous  For,  In. 

For, — ^'ull  of  zeal;  jealous  for  the  good  or 
the  promotion  of  some  object ;  as : 

^*He  was  zealous  for  the  interests  of  the 
state. ' ' 

In. — Warmly  engaged;  as: 

He  may  be  zealous  in  the  salvation  of  souls. 

— Low, 


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